Destiny 2: Acts of an Old Exodus
by Ultra Sonic 007
Summary: Twenty-two years after the Battle of Saturn, an unusual alliance has grown amongst former enemies in the Solar System. However, in the wake of an unexpected Warmind attack on the Cabal Fatherworld, that tenuous alliance is threatened. The answers that everyone seek, lie in a past that has yet to have its say... [The Sequel to Gospel of a New Genesis] [An Evangelion/Destiny fusion]
1. Prologue

**Grimoire: Book - The Governor of Earth**

 **"** _ **I - An Introduction**_ **"**

 **It's been over twenty years since the Battle of Saturn, where the Second Cataclysm came to an end, and old enemies were no longer so.**

 **Less than two years after the War of Unification, where Umun'arath and her Separatists tried to crush us, yet failed; where bonds between former foes became as iron from the forge.**

 **We Guardians have always aspired to an ideal, to protect something precious. For myself, for the longest time, it was the Last City.**

 **Now, the City is but the First of a new Golden Age, an Age of Triumph. Yet we did not reach this stage alone.**

 **Our long-separated kin of the Reef? Expected allies, I would have said, given that we stem from the same world.**

 **Yet not in my strangest nightmares or wildest dreams would I have looked at the Fallen, and counted them as future comrades.**

 **Nor the Cabal, after the Threefold Invasion, or Ghaul's devastation. Nor the Vex, after the carnage they wrought during the Second Cataclysm, or their cold machinations with Ayanami.**

 **Yet here I stand, in a world far stranger than I would have ever dared to hope for: a world where we stand alongside the Reefborn, the Eliksni, two separate factions of Cabal, and Vex that have been empowered by the Light.**

 **It is also messy, and tense, and complicated. As Lady Katsuragi would often say, life was a lot simpler when it was just us - mankind - against a hostile universe. And indeed it was.**

 **I would not go back to those days for anything. Even with the pain and headaches my position comes with, a mere glance at a City grown beyond its formidable walls is enough to make it all worth it.**

 **I am not foolish or naive enough to believe that there will be no conflict in the future amongst our Sixfold Alliance. We are too different for there not to be, and our shared history comes with too much bitterness for it to be otherwise.**

 **Yet we have come this far in spite of our differences, in spite of our bloody history. Or, perhaps, because of them.**

 **So long as I draw breath, I will protect this new world from whatever may threaten it.**

 **That is** _ **my**_ **ideal.**

 **-Zavala**

xxxx

/~22 ABS (Approximately 22 Years after the Battle of Saturn/

/The Tower of the Consensus, the Reborn City/

"So...mind telling us how it happened?" asked Cayde-7, blue eyes narrowed out of anxiety and undeniable curiosity.

There was a weary sigh from the subject of this wretched meeting. "Well, it's why I'm here, isn't it?" said Shin Malphur.

xxxx

/Two Weeks Ago/

/The Fatherworld of the Cabal Empire/

 _"_ Shin? Shin?! _"_

 _The Light washed over the Hunter, bringing him back to life with a gasp. That was always the hardest part, in his mind; Jaren Ward had never adequately explained the overall intricacies, about how you tended to fade away too quickly for the death to stick, but it was upon rising again that the mind seemed to catch up with the fact that you_ did _die..._

 _"_ Focus Shin! _"_

 _Shin Malphur, the vaunted Gunslinger, slowly looked up at his Ghost, blinking wearily. "Susan...?" He had tracked down a group of Separatists, preparing to attack a diplomatic meeting, and then...there had been a flash, and heat, and then death. "What happened?"_

 _His Ghost, bearing a crimson-colored Frontier Shell, briefly scanned the devastation around them. "_

Well, judging by the overall energy profile, it was a Javelin Strike. _"_

 _"...that...that can't be right." It was one of the signature weapons of the Warminds. "Was there a declaration of war?" After everything-?_

 _"_ I don't think so. I've not received any messages confirming that. Judging by the overall comms chatter I'm picking up, _no one_ saw this coming. Otherwise, the Psion Shield System in the upper atmosphere would have activated. _"_

 _"Then...why...?" Was it sabotage? Had the MAGI controlling the local Warmind gone rogue? Was it a plot of the remaining Separatists? Too many questions and possibilities, not enough concrete answers._

Just focus on getting yourself together. _Thus did the Gunslinger rise, looking around as the wind kicked up at his dusty clothes and cloak; what had once been a military processing station upon the Cabal's free-roaming homeworld had been reduced to a blasted husk. Everything for miles around had been obliterated. He trudged towards the main complex, trudging past the corpses of the Separatists he had been tailing. "Well...mission accomplished," he muttered, bitterly kicking the leg of one of the Separatist Legionnaires. Its leg crumbled into ash. "Guess they got what they wanted."_

 _"_ We don't know that yet, _" cautioned Susan. "_ We can't afford to jump to conclusions. _"_

 _"Pissed and ornery after getting their tails whipped, without the decency to handle defeat and let bygones be bygones." He was simply venting now; little wonder, given the VIPs that had been using this processing station for an important meeting. He walked past the dead security detail, and gazed upon the bodies of the representatives from the Cabal Empire and the Reef. He didn't know_ why _they had been having this meeting to begin with, but the fact that it was occurring at all had been enough to catch his attention as a possible Separatist target._

 _Little wonder, given that the leading rep from the Reef was none other than Prince Uldren Sov._

 _A Prince who was now very very dead. Burnt to a crisp, more like. "...well. Shit."_

 _"_ That's putting it mildly. _" Susan gazed at the clear horizon, muttering to herself as various vessels of Cabal make began making their way to their general location. "_ We're about to have company. _"_

 _"Think they'll shoot first and ask questions later?"_

 _"_ Let's not tempt our former enemies, please. _"_

 _Fortunately, it seemed they had a brief stretch of good luck; for running towards them from the direction of Torobatl, the Imperial capital of the Cabal homeworld, was a red Giant, moving with far more grace and agility than anything that size had any business doing. "...the hell is Unit-02 doing here?" For an Evangelion to be on the Fatherworld would mean that its Pilot had to be here as well. Why would the_ _ **Crimson Exo**_ _be here-?_

 _Susan interrupted his thoughts. "_ Don't you remember? The Fourfold Classic Tournament was having a bunch of matches held today. She was there to serve as the...guest motivational speaker, on behalf of the Eliksni competing today. I think I can find a video on the solarnet if you'd like."

 _"You know I don't much keep up with that stuff." Not anymore, at least. Not since Palamon. "Well, at least we'll have an eighty-meter meat shield if the shooting starts."_

 _"_ You know, if Jaren were still alive, he'd give you a knuckle sandwich for jinxing us. _"_

 _"Yeah, well he ain't here." Hard to be anywhere but six feet under, when you were permanently dead._

 _The four-eyed Evangelion slowed about a kilometer away, going from a run to a measured stride; with poise and control, the titanic Giant knelt down, allowing the voice of Asuka-3 to echo out of its external speakers. "_ _ **...why in the world are you here?**_ _" No nonsense, straight to the point._

 _"Was chasing a rumor. Tracked down some Seps to this installation...and then apparently got blasted by a Warmind." He pointed towards the corpse of the Awoken Prince. "Uldren didn't come off as well. Neither did anyone else for that matter."_

 _Asuka-3's response was fitting. "_ _ **...well.**_ **Scheiße.** _"_

 _Yeah, that about summed it up._

xxxx

"Okay, time out."

Shin Malphur blinked at the interruption. "What is it, Cayde?"

The Hunter Vanguard huffed, gesturing at the other members of the Consensus gathered at the circular table. "I kinda get that you're trying to do a proper Hunter story and all, but we were kinda hoping for you to actually start a _little_ further back."

"We've already established that the MAGI MELCHIOR initiated an attack on the Fatherworld, though we've yet to ascertain why," said Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard. She rubbed the dark skin on the bridge of her nose, adding, "The point of this debriefing is to try and obtain additional information about the events _prior._ "

"The future has been somewhat...murky, as of late," remarked Lakshmi-2, a horned Exo bearing the scarlet, white, yellow, and ultramarine colors of the Future War Cult. "We must understand the immediate past if we are to gain answers."

"And let's be quick about it," grumbled Suraya Hawthorne, Representative of the Concordat. Her face - indicating a Persian heritage, with a fair complexion - was narrowed down into a fierce scowl. "I've got a bunch of people to try and reassure, because they're thinking we might be headed for another war. I'd rather _not_ have communities living beyond the City's borders take matters into their own hands." After all, the Cabal Empire still maintained a sizable military regiment on Earth, years after the Second Cataclysm had concluded; it wouldn't do them _any_ good to have some hothead make a scene.

"Patience," cautioned a gray-skinned Awoken with dark hair and red eyes, clad in dark clothes with his Faction's symbol - an upside-down white triangle with seven eyes - embroidered over his chest. "Let's not intimidate Mr. Malphur before he can finish his story," said Kaworu Nagisa, Representative of Seele.

Hawthorne huffed. "I'm sure he's seen scarier things than a mortal woman."

"Ha!" barked the Titan Vanguard, bearing a distinctive color scheme of white and orange, with brown fur over his pauldrons. A golden horn, evoking the image of a bull, curved out of his helmet's right side; the left one was missing. Embedded into his breastplate was a bronze token that seemed to burn with an inner fire, bearing the distinctive sigils of the Iron Lords. "After the shots I've seen you make? You sell yourself short, Suraya!" boasted Lord Shaxx, the Vanguard Commander.

There was the clearing of a man's throat, cutting through all of the chatter. "Focus." At the other end of the table, an Awoken man - bald, clad in sim, silvery armor with a design that seemed a compromise between the wishes of a warrior and the practical demands that came with being head of state - leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "Start with what brought you to the Fatherworld to begin with," said Lord Zavala, Governor of Earth.

"...all right then," said the Gunslinger, inhaling deeply. "It all started with a helpful tip..." He briefly paused, gathering his thoughts. Or himself. Either-or. "I've been in a real bad place since the War of Unification...since the Stomp. If I could control an Evangelion myself, I would've unleashed hell for what they did to Palamon. Were it not for my Ghost...well, I'm sure you've seen plenty of Guardians in your time who've gone overboard, who've lost themselves. The Shadows of Yor come to mind...though Vale came back to himself by the end, at least. Point is, I've made no secret about my enmity for the Separatists. I know it's not something you like, and I get that. Vanguard has a purpose and an image of its own, and it's a good one. But that gray in-between is a place for renegades and lone wolves.

"Besides, the Empress and her father appreciate me. They hate the Seps even more than I do.

"See, ever since the War ended, the Cabal Empire under Caiatl and the Loyalists under Calus have been trying to hash things out. They both have quite a bit of ego between them, and with Umun'arath dead, the issue regarding the Cabal's extended territory throughout the galaxy is an open question in terms of management. They both want it to be all under their own thumb, but they also know they can't just blast their way to victory like usual. Or Caital, at least. Calus was smart, like that; his Champions include members of every single faction within this grand Alliance of ours, so he's got an in with everyone. However, Caiatl has the advantage in terms of manpower, so he can't simply ignore her, either. It's been real strange, seeing two Cabal factions trying to be... _reasonably_ diplomatic.

"And of course, the Separatists that survived the war, that went to ground instead of surrendering or fleeing for the Frontier? They would _love_ the opportunity to muck things up between the two. That's what really gets me about them; they took their shot. It was a hell of a shot, too; yet a shot it was, and it wasn't enough to take us down. Instead of accepting their defeat, instead of trying to make the best of things, they've settled for trying to make the whole system burn. It's petty.

"So if I've volunteered to take care of any lingering Separatists, neither the Empire nor the Loyalists will complain. And to be honest, I don't think you care either.

"I get your concerns. Truly. There's been too many legends of heroes lost to unpleasant pursuits, who've fallen to a murky path. It's not one I tread lightly. But even though I've not been a Guardian for as long as anyone else in this room, even if my 'rise' was a bit...unorthodox..."

"That's putting it mildly," muttered Cayde-7.

Shin ignored him. "...even in spite of all that, I've come to the conclusion that some beasts don't need to be indulged or entertained or locked away; they just need to be killed, for the good of everyone else. I doubt Jaren would have disagreed."

"There were some who had their own disagreements with the way Jaren Ward behaved in his later years, but that's neither here nor there," reminded Governor Zavala. "Please, continue: what transpired to get you on the Fatherworld that day?"

"Well, I'd been trying to track down a Centurion by the name of Kuskan. Former Red Legion, outstanding bounty on his head, wanted for sabotage. Surprisingly slippery, for a Cabal. So I decided to see if the _**Pax**_ had any information for me."

xxxx

 _A few weeks ago, within Old Nevada, in what had once been the North American Anomalous Zone, Shin Malphur found himself visiting the site of what used to be the Black Garden._

 _Now, it was the homeland - if such a thing even applied to machines like the Vex - of the machine collective governed by Panoptes, formerly known as the Infinite Mind. After becoming empowered by the Light in the years following the Second Cataclysm, the Axis Mind had been more...personable, so to speak, taking on the demeanor of a nervous little girl._

 _It was downright bizarre and disarming, but it certainly did the trick. Her aid had been very timely during the War of Unification; by the end of it, Panoptes and her subunit had officially adopted the moniker of the_ ** _Pax_** _, to differentiate themselves from their former brethren that had long since abandoned the Solar System in the wake of the Second Cataclysm...and when it came to information, their manner of looking at the universe was very useful._

 _"_ ** _Given the parameters you have provided, our simulations place Kuskan's most likely position to be within a thirty-kilometer radius of Torobatl,_** _" helpfully explained a Light-empowered Goblin, its tool interfacing with the glowing lines of a conflux. "_ ** _Additional data will be required for greater precision._** _"_

 _"That's enough for me. Thank you."_

 _"_ ** _Please be sure to support the Pax in our upcoming Crucible debut. We intend to-_** _"_

 _Shin Malphur had already left.  
_

xxxx

"After sending out a couple of feelers through Owl Sector and your Hidden..." Ikora Rey briefly scowled, which Shin ignored. "...I realized why Torobatl got so much weight in those simulations. Apparently, they'd somehow caught wind that the Reef and the Empire were going to settle certain matters regarding the Psion Rebellion."

A disappointed sigh came from Governor Zavala. "I had hoped that the War of Unification would have ended this matter. It's been over ten years."

"Ten years is merely a blink of an eye for many us," remarked Kaworu Nagisa, smiling cryptically. "The average human lifespan is well over two centuries. The Awoken's average lifespan is nearly twice that, by the Reef's reckoning. Exos have no theoretical endpoint, so long as their bodies, minds, and souls maintain a sufficient level of integrity. The longest-living Eliksni were present at the Whirlwind; the Cabal have average lifespans spanning well over two _millennia_ , and I don't think lifespans are applicable to the Vex, Light-empowered or otherwise." His red eyes twinkled with ambient light, a distinctive feature of the Awoken in general. "As for you Guardians...so long as you have your Ghost and your Light, you will live forever. Is it any surprise that the issue regarding the Psions would linger, among those who have lived so long?"

"A fair point. Sometimes, _I_ can't believe how quickly time flies. Feels like just yesterday I got saddled with this gig." Cayde-7 briefly paused to glare at everyone. "A gig that _no one else wants to take from me._ "

"You could always die," calmly said Lakshmi-2. "Then you would no longer have 'this gig'." She added air-quotes to her words.

"But that would defeat the whole point!"

"...I believe I understand the matter you found out about," remarked Zavala. "Certain Psions have achieved high ranks within the Reef; not a few of them have joined Uldren's Crows, and one Flayer has become the personal assistant to the Queen's Wrath, Petra."

Shin nodded. "Apparently, some of them wanted to make some overtures, offer an olive branch of sorts; they've got family who either remained loyal to the Empire or who defected to the Loyalists. They wanted a reunion...but many of the ones we're talking about were previously oathsworn to a Legion, which makes them subject to the whole 'kill-on-sight' order."

Suraya huffed with annoyance. "No chance of the Empire slacking off on that, huh?"

"...no," admitted Zavala. "The Empress will not budge on a matter regarding oaths, and neither will her military. From my understanding of the situation, there are many Psions who remained with the Empire that feel the same." There was a measure of surprise on the faces of others, prompting Zavala to add: "Is it any surprise? There are doubtless many who had their own reasons for remaining loyal to the Cabal Empire, but loyal they remained; they would likely view the defectors as naught but traitors."

"A complicated situation," murmured Ikora. "One with no easy solutions."

"Which is why Queen Mara has been _personally_ involved in so many direct negotiations with Caital and Calus," continued Zavala. "Although Calus desires the end of the kill-on-sight orders like we do, Caiatl suspects that there is a power play involved."

"Not an unreasonable assumption," added Cayde.

"Indeed. But there had been a promising development, and she was initially slated to have a private audience with Caiatl and with Xûr..." Zavala scowled, briefly glaring at Lord Shaxx. "...until certain individuals conspired to force Mara and I to have a _honeymoon._ "

"I make _no_ apologies," boasted Shaxx.

"Governor, with the exception of an interrupted wedding, you and the Queen haven't exactly had a moment to yourselves," said Kaworu. "It was the opinion of many that you two needed a break."

"As if we never have breaks at all. I take plenty of opportunities to maintain my skills in the Crucible," retorted the Awoken Titan.

"Uhp-uhp-uhp, stop right there," interrupted Cayde. "Lord _Shaxx_ considers the Crucible to be a break. _You_ , on the other hand, consider it work. Big difference there."

"A MONUMENTAL one!" Shaxx briefly huffed, loudly muttering about the character of those who consider the Crucible to be _work.  
_  
"I had heard of similar stories involving the Queen's own work schedule." Kaworu smiled. "Mara Sov is well aware that her subordinates are not so incompetent that the Reef would fall apart without her guidance, yet she _lives_ for her duties; it took a great deal of convincing to get her to...acquiesce."

"So I was told," muttered Zavala.

xxxx

/Several Weeks Ago/

/The Reef/

 _Within the depths of the great asteroid called Sovereign, host to significant portion of the Reefborn Awoken, a secretive chamber contained MAGI-Ω: MAYA. Due to her unorthodox construction and great importance to the Awoken in general, MAYA was the lone MAGI in the Solar System to not become a roaming Warmind; instead, she served as a keystone of sorts, maintaining the integrity of the Warmind network with the standard MAGI network in base reality._

 _That, and the mind that served as the base for MAYA was unwilling to depart the place she had called home for generations._

 _Said mind was now projecting the image of her queenly persona: not the mousy and demure Maya Ibuki, Lieutenant of NERV in the Time Before...but rather, the surprisingly imposing Awoken Maya who had been the First Queen of the Awoken._

 _Said projection had her arms crossed, glaring with disappointment at her descendant. "_ You've put off your honeymoon for **how** long now? _"_

 _Mara Sov frowned. "We are of like minds when it comes to our duties. We understand that such things are unnecessary, in the face of-"_

 _"_ I am going to stop you _right_ there, _" admonished the mind of the First Queen._ _"_ Even in the face of potential extinction following the Collapse, I _still_ managed to make at least **some** time with Shigeru. _"_

 _Mara knew this, for as a child, she had read many of the stories involving Queen Maya and her Lord Consort, Shigeru Aoba. Because of this, she knew that trying to make a point about the Solar System's complicated political situation would be ill-received. "Neither of us need one."_

 _"_ Oh, my dearest, sweetest, most _incorrigible_ descendant...go on your honeymoon or I will find a way to have one of the Harbingers _**make**_ you go. _"_

 _It was not a request. "...I will take your guidance and wisdom into consideration, beloved Protector of the Reef."  
_

xxxx

Zavala huffed. "Mara does not appreciate overt attempts at strong-arming her."

"Even if it's for her own good?" quipped Cayde. "Besides, you two are alike in that way too."

"I haven't _forgotten_ ," tersely replied the Governor.

xxxx

/Several Weeks Ago/

/The Tower of the Consensus, the Reborn City/

 _Somehow, Zavala knew it was all Cayde's fault._

 _After a brisk four hours of sleep, he entered his office only to find a certain Hunter sitting in front of his desk, arms crossed out of irritation. He ignored the Hunter's presence, simply settling into his desk to begin his work for the day-_

 _"Zavala-kun."_

 _The Governor sighed, raising his eyes to look upon the face of the Iron Lady herself, the last survivor of the original Iron Lords. "Lady Katsuragi-"_

 _Misato Katsuragi's gaze could have curdled milk with the sheer acidity of its exasperation and disappointment. "Go on your damn honeymoon already. We've got you covered."_

 _Even if Zavala outranked Misato politically, she was his senior as an Iron Lord, and as a Guardian. More to the point, she had been Lord Saladin's_ _ **peer**_ _._

 _Thus, in the face of that gaze, Zavala - Governor of Earth, the Unyielding Wall, the former Lord of the Iron Banner - exhaled deeply, acquiescing to her demand. "Very well."_

 _"Good boy."  
_

xxxx

"You're welcome," remarked Cayde-7.

Zavala resisted the urge to sigh; it was common knowledge that the Governor and the Queen were the Solar System's proverbial 'Power Couple', subject to much tabloid speculation amongst the natives of Earth and the Reef. The Eliksni were - to various degrees - rather disinterested in the romantic aspects of their relationship, preferring instead to focus on the political ramifications of their union. The Pax simply catalogued all observations, as per usual. The Cabal, by most respects, simply wanted to be present if they ever started fighting each other, to offer pointers if nothing else. Calus's opinions didn't matter, since he was the one who had originally crashed their wedding to begin with. "Please, Shin; continue?"

The Gunslinger nodded. "With the Queen... _sidelined_...the original meeting had to be changed. It was deemed to be more appropriate, to kind of hash things out in a more private setting compared to the show it would have been if the heads of state had met. So instead of Mara and Caiatl and Xûr, you've got Uldren and some reps from the Red Legion and the Loyalists. Never found out the names of the others. Landed on Mars, went through the normal security routine, and I crossed the Lelielim bridge to the Fatherworld." Truly, one of the greatest contributions of the House of Leliel, to enable travel by _foot_ from planet to planet. "Found my contact in Torobatl, and in return for a small gift, he gave me the location of the meeting."

Ikora leaned in. "Who was your contact?"

"A simple Psion, not affiliated within any particular Legion; makes his living as an information broker. Sort of a necessary evil, in the Empire's eyes; they think that information will slip out one way or another, so they settle for monitoring 'approved' brokers and cracking down on any black market types. When you've got a massive military state, surveillance ain't much of an issue, but they prefer to have an outlet that doesn't run the risk of any party violating their oaths."

"And information brokers don't?"

"Depends on the information and what the buyer does with it."

"What was your gift?" inquired Shaxx.

Shin shrugged. "Nothing major."

xxxx

/Two Weeks Ago/

/Torobatl, the Fatherworld/

 _Deep within the sprawling yet grandiose Imperial Capital, inside a district rife with museums and server farms, Shin Malphur quietly synchronized the coordinates with his Ghost, creating a directional marker on his HUD. "Done." It was miles away, beyond the borders of Torobatl._

 _The cycloptic Psion nodded, unfurling a tridactyl hand towards him. "My pa~yme~nt," he hissed, pale lips rounding oddly around the human vowels that he spoke._

 _Shin quietly reached behind his cloak, providing a small and weathered booklet titled 'Riddles of Pre-Collapse Antiquity (with a few Dark Age ones for good measure)', authored by a man named Pahanin. "Here."_

 _"A~h, tha~nk you~!" The Psion promptly flipped it open to the first page, sounding a riddle out loud. "Whi~ch crea~tu~re has one voi~ce and ye~t beco~mes four-foo~ted and two-foo~ted and three-foo~ted? Hmm..."_

 _Shin left him to it. He had a military outpost to get to.  
_

xxxx

Cayde-7 blinked.

"So there's truth to those rumors, huh?" murmured Suraya. "Been hearing from folks about how some Psions prefer to barter for intellectually-stimulating material instead of using Glimmer or currency."

Cayde-7 blinked again. "...gonna have to make a note of that. I wonder if they would consider a joke book...?"

"Moving on," interrupted Zavala, keeping his eyes on Shin. "What then?"

"Nothing much that you don't already know; I hitched a ride on top of a Harvester, jumped off once its patrol route got within a mile of the processing station that the meeting was gonna be at. Tried to be discreet and sneaky on the way to the base, but then I saw that the perimeter walls weren't manned."

"That's unusual," remarked Kaworu.

"Hard to man anything when you were dead. The Seps had managed to make it there already; probably some elite saboteur unit, judging by the fact there weren't any alarms going off. Managed to track them down, planting explosives..."

xxxx

 _Shin Malphur peered around a corner, glaring furiously at a group of Psions planting explosive charges at a support strut; they had managed to keep quiet so far, avoiding other patrols and security. But if they blew enough of those charges, the entire facility might implode._

Not today _, thought the Hunter with a barely-restrained snarl as he withdrew the_ Last Word.  
 _  
He stepped around the barricade - at least thirteen targets in view, not too difficult to deal with, but there had to be_ more _, there were ALWAYS more - and took aim._

 _Then the dusty sky above flashed orange, and then something struck like lightning, and everything went_ ** _white_** _ **-**_

xxxx

"...and next thing I know, I'm rising up with a bunch of flash-fried corpses, including one dead Prince." Shin Malphur stared intently at Cayde-7. "That far enough back for you?"

"Sure, we'll go with that," replied the Hunter Vanguard. " _So_ , what exactly do we do now?" Cayde-7 looked at everyone. "Because I know I'm _great_ at defusing tension, don't get me wrong, but I need to know where I'm gonna be aimed at."

"We need to focus on keeping the public in a state of ease," cautioned Zavala, slowly standing. "I have a meeting soon with the other leaders of the Sixfold Alliance. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, before tempers begin to fray."

"I'll get to work on that," muttered Suraya, rubbing at her forehead irritably. "One thing after another..."

Shin Malphur slowly rose. "If I'm done here, I'll be off."

"And where are you going?" asked Ikora.

"Ain't it obvious? One thing that Jaren taught me: find out who benefits most, to see the angle. Right now, I wager the Separatists have somehow found a way to hack into the MAGI, because who _else_ would want to turn all of us against each other, after everything we've been through?"

"It is a vast universe, with many belligerents," warned Lakshmi-2. "You should not be surprised if it turns out to be someone new, or perhaps someone we know yet will not consider." At Zavala's warning glare, the Exo went silent, yet was not abashed in the least; as far as the Consensus went, her viewpoint was a common one, even in these times of relative peace. Such was the ethos and philosophy of the Future War Cult. "I will simply advise you to not...narrow down the possibilities so soon."

The Gunslinger huffed. "That may be, but the Seps still need to be stopped." And with that said, the Hunter turned to depart. "I'll be on the hunt." Then he teleported away in a transmatted flash.

Cayde shook his head. "Man, talk about _intense._ He really needs to get back in a fireteam; it'll do him some good."

"I will endeavor to keep Seele's joint projects in the Jovians ongoing," said Kaworu Nagisa. "The Houses of Ramiel and Matarael have been wonderful partners in appropriating the previously terraformed moons of the Nine, and the Skyburners have provided tremendous logistical support."

"Good." Cooperative works would help maintain the status quo, and reduce pressure. The Governor glanced towards his old friend. "Shaxx?"

"I believe I'll announce a new round of authorizations for participating in the Trials of the Emperor," said the Vanguard Commander. "Give our Guardians something to chew at...and possibly get some new intel."

"Intel?"

"Certain rumors about a new style of Trial that's been unveiled. Very secretive, yet very _daring_ , from what I've been able to glean." The Titan Vanguard chuckled deeply. "We'll have to see what comes of it."

Zavala nodded; even now, after so many years, the Trials had yet to plumb the depths of the Nine's riches amongst the Jovians. It didn't help that sheer volume of planetoids that they had claimed were so _many_ ; even with all those that had been destroyed during the Second Cataclysm, plucky explorers were still finding new things, and Calus was still setting up Trials at brand new locations. "Keep me posted. Ikora...have you heard anything from Dr. Akagi?"

Ikora shook her head. "This recent episode has spurred Ritsuko to try and find any scrap of material that her mother left behind regarding the construction of the MAGI." The Warlock Vanguard's lip curled into an irritated grimace. "If only the Sage hadn't perished during that mission to Old Japan...her knowledge would have been useful."

Now there was a title that Zavala hadn't heard in a while: the Sage, or less commonly known as Naoko Akagi. It was because of that secretive Warlock that advanced knowledge of A.T. Field manipulation had been brought back to the City, courtesy of Sakura Suzuhara and Eris Morn's fireteam in the wake of the Threefold Invasion and Crota's Awakening. Her overall fate was unknown to the public at large, left to wonder at just who had been the one to teach Sakura so many things. _A shame that Praedyth had to kill her...no, it was probably for the best._ By his account, that woman had been fully cooperative with Rei Ayanami, and _that_ just could not be countenanced. "If there are any lingering Hive arcana impeding Dr. Akagi's access to NERV-Japan, you have my authorization to dispatch any Warlocks of your choice."

"Already done," remarked Ikora. "She's also getting consultation from Eris Morn."

Zavala frowned. "She is strictly forbidden from mission work while her condition persists."

Ikora rolled her eyes. "I'm not a fool, Governor; it's all being provided remotely. Eris is in no danger."

"...very well." The Governor knew he was probably being paranoid, but there were so many things that could go wrong. Once he had learned that Eris Morn was with child...the child of arguably the most powerful demigod (or, perhaps, a true _god_ ) that they currently knew of...he had done everything within his power to keep her secret, to keep her safe. Anything to keep from potentially drawing the ire of Shinji Ikari, as unlikely as that was. "We shall adjourn for now," muttered the Awoken Titan, blue eyes heavy with the weight of knowledge and authority and secrets. "Do what you can within your spheres of influence to keep people from pointing fingers. Although the Warmind attack was unexpected, and the deaths it caused are a tragedy...we can't allow anyone to jump the gun and pin the blame on anyone within our Alliance. Not without more information." Hopefully, his upcoming call with Clovis-9 of Wille would provide more answers on that topic.

Cayde-7 blinked. "Uh, not to be a killjoy, but the whole 'pointing fingers' thing has already begun. I mean, to the average Joe..." He briefly paused, muttering about yet _another_ catchphrase, before adding, "well, to the everyday person who's out of the loop, it looks like we just up and launched an attack on the Cabal homeworld, and killed quite a few VIPs."

"You don't need to remind us," griped Suraya.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"Everyone knows that the Warminds are jointly administered by the Earth and the Reef," countered Ikora. "Why, in their eyes, would the Reef agree to kill its own Prince?"

Lakshmi-2 sighed. "An obvious question with an obvious answer: consolidation of power, removing a potential claimant to Queen Mara's throne. It would not be a move without precedent, in the long and sordid history of the Royal Family."

Kaworu nodded. "That is a valid point, however improbable it is in this particular scenario. After all, in the wake of what happened to Princess Nula Sov...well, it would be simple for people to draw their own conclusions on _this_ matter." Even if the likelihood of Prince Uldren being an iteration of Rei Ayanami, as their sister Nula had been, was nil.

"It's also a heavy-handed maneuver, lacking any subtlety," bit back Zavala, showing his displeasure at the concept with a furrowed brow. "If Mara were to ever assassinate Uldren, _which she wouldn't_ , it would have been in a less explosive and obvious manner."

"Which is exactly why it's the _perfect_ way for her to off him!" exclaimed Cayde-7. "See, I can play the conspiracy theorist turnaround game too."

"...just focus on keeping another war from starting." And with that said, the meeting of the Consensus concluded.

The joys of maintaining peace.

xxxx

Meanwhile...

xxxx

 _There was a certain sound. Repetitive. Filled with intent, as a cookie filled with creme._

 _Its origin was unknown. Its meaning was unknown. Yet it came through as a vague notion, trying to trigger a memory._

 _But all context was missing. She had no place for it._

 _And it was...muffled. Missing parts._

 _It said_ -

xxxx

Within the depths of Sovereign, a particular cycle of MAYA's cerebral matrix suffered a hard stop, as new data was received.

In human terms, it was akin to suddenly waking up from a dream.

The remnant mind of Maya Ibuki mentally cursed, even as she devoted more processing power to deciphering the information, even as she tried to get insight from the other MAGI on this matter. " _Volundr and Gofannon bid a fond farewell to..._ " That's where it ended, irritatingly enough.

Who were Volundr and Gofannon?

And who were they bidding farewell _to?_

xxxx

 _Long ago, the discovery of the Traveler changed mankind forever. But our Golden Age was cut short, by the First Cataclysm, and the Collapse that followed._

 _Yet, through the Dark Age that came after, humanity managed to get back on its feet. Throughout the City Age, we endured against threats without and within, even as the Darkness seemed ready to swallow us whole._

 _The Fallen. The Vex. The Cabal. The Hive. The Nine. The Taken. And more._

 _So many forces, that it once seemed impossible that we would ever see a night sky without the threat of extinction hanging over our heads._

 _During the Second Cataclysm, our doom seemed assured._

 _Then, at the Battle of Saturn, all of destiny turned; Dominus Ghaul was vanquished; Oryx, the Taken King, was felled; and Rei Ayanami's apocalyptic machinations were thwarted._

 _A humble Guardian named Shinji Ikari, armed with Evangelion Unit-01, performed a great sacrifice, bringing that war to an end. Some say that he is still fighting for our sake in the far reaches of space._

 _But for those left behind, they had to pick up the pieces, and live on._

 _For every step forward we make, the memories and hatreds of times past still threaten to rear their ugly heads._

 _This is the story of a Past that has yet to have its say._

 _We shall see what Future it will entail._

 **DESTINY**  
 **2**

 ** _Acts of an Old Exodus_**

 **The Sequel to an Evangelion/Destiny Fusion**

xxxx

Author's Note: Here it is. If you're confused, than that means you didn't read **Gospel of a New Genesis** first. This world is...quite different from canon (Destiny _and_ Evangelion), at this point (as you already can tell).

And what better way to demonstrate than by plunging feet first into the brink?

Now, that being said, for older readers: the overall pace of this story will be much slower than GONG was, due to my desire to have a tighter plot overall. I will strive to at least have an update every one to two weeks.

For newer readers, I will be providing brief snippets as we move forward (on top of the Grimoire we normally get to flesh out the world), to sort of summarize the overall major characters so that we can have a reference point of where the 'canon' characters are relative to how they've developed throughout GONG to the start of AOE. Speaking of Grimoire!

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Ghost Fragment - The Queen and the Governor**

 **"** _ **Now shoo, you two, the MAGI will be watching to see if you deviate from the itinerary!**_ **"**

 **One might've thought that Mara Sov and Zavala would be insulted by how things had proceeded. Alas, their stations required much in the way of temperance.**

 **Directed to a two-seater jumpship with hard-locked coordinates, they were now en route to the Plutonian Remnant. Although Pluto had been shattered and broken by the Cabal and the Hive during the Second Cataclysm, it had been a target for terraforming efforts by the Eliksni due to a desire to have some eyes peering out beyond the Solar System's inhabitable worlds. However, it had also been a passion project of sorts for the Houses of Ramiel and Bardiel, as their own histories spoke of beautiful landscapes cultivated on hostile worlds. By all accounts, the Plutonian Remnant bore fields of Ramielim structures, over which crawled sprawling Bardielim lichens of every shade of blue. A bizarre, yet strangely tranquil scenario.**

 **Or so Variks had assured them.**

 **Zavala quietly gazed out the window of their jumpship, a SIVA-enhanced number from the Nanophoenix class. The fluctuating light beyond interacted interestingly with the crimson glow of the nanites, giving off the appearance of rubies sailing through the cosmic seas.**

 ** _At least we'll have sufficient armaments in the event of catastrophe_** **, he mused. He wondered what particular scenarios would result in the hard-lock coming undone-**

 **"You never stop worrying, do you?"**

 **Zavala's answer was quick. "It is a dangerous universe, and an unpredictable one." As though that was sufficient enough, yet he continued on. "I don't think you are as calm as you appear to be." He turned to face his wife, regarding her as a willing partner in a necessary endeavor that, at the time,** ** _neither_** **of them had considered optimal. "Am I wrong?"**

 **Mara's expression was serene, bearing little of the cool superiority she bore in the face of those beneath her station. In private, they at least didn't have to settle for familiar pretenses. "To be Queen is to carry a certain image at all times. Even if my will is law, it is one that is informed by their own desires to some extent. In the Reef, to be Queen is to be dominant, and detached, and cool, unaffected and steadfast in the face of all challenges. To be otherwise is to be mortal, and a Queen is not allowed to suffer such a mundane reality."**

 **Zavala frowned. It was one of the reasons why he had always been distasteful of the Reef in older times, before an alliance had been forged by Skolas's revolt, and hardened by the subsequent furies of the Second Cataclysm. "To be above everyone is to be a god, removed from their concerns. Eventually, you lose sight of what seem to be lesser worries, until you begin to regard people as mere tools." Such was the lesson of the Dark Age's worst Warlords.**

 **"There have been prior rulers who fell to such thinking." Though the Reef had only had seven Queens in its long history, there had been certain periods where the line of succession had been...unclear, for reasons foul or pure. The number of queens later deemed to be false** ** _far_** **outpaced seven. "It is the other end of that lonely trap, to become so unaffected that they could no longer recount what they were Queen of to begin with." As a certain old saying went, a king was nothing without his people. The Reef and their matriarchal dynasties were no different. "Thus did they become mortal in another sense, by becoming objects of servile hatred and base tyrannies. Such a mortal invites correction."**

 **"Often by blood."**

 **"Yes." There was a reason that the Royal Family's surname had drifted from Ibuki to Sov over the centuries. "To maintain a family bond, knowing it could be turned against you; to appear as an indomitable fortress, in the face of all challengers; it is what I was born to do."**

 **"...knowing what you now know about Ayanami, would you have treated your sister any differently?" The topic of Nula Sov, the Reef's former Princess and Mistress of Secrets, had long been one he ignored out of courtesy. Yet it was one he wanted some insight on: would the Queen's bond of family have caused her to eventually relent in the face of Ayanami's infiltration? Would she have succumbed to ruthlessness immediately, severing her life in the proverbial crib?**

 **"No. To speak of hypotheticals is pointless." Mara stared straight ahead into the shimmering tunnel of warped spacetime. "My cousin, Erika Sov, was to be the seventh Queen. She had been one of Ayanami's iterations, though I did not know this at the time; I only knew that the soul of one I adored and cherished was something false and untrue. In like manner, when Nula Sov was born, my Techeuns foresaw how she weighed upon the passage of fate, drawing in everything like a black hole. I prepared countermeasures, yet I loved her all the same, knowing the risks. To assume behavior based on information I would not have known is a fool's game, and would only introduce doubt in myself...and a Queen is not allowed to doubt, lest her people lose faith."**

 **Silence. Finally, Zavala said, "It would seem that there are many things that a Queen is not allowed to do." He sighed, feeling oddly melancholy. "Do you ever wonder if you could have changed her?" To turn Ayanami against herself, to have such an entity become a true ally?**

 **"Such an endeavor is a waste of time, to wonder what could have been. What's done is done, and there is no changing that."**

 **"...true." At least that was one luxury the Queen could afford. "Guardians are always plagued by the burden of 'what if they had done this' or 'what if they hadn't done that', because we have the power to change our own fate. It is...expected, you could say."**

 **"And it is an expectation that has driven many of your ilk to madness."**

 **"Indeed." And yet, despite that, he couldn't claim to know whether the Queen envied or pitied them.**

xxxx

Author's Note: Gotta have our Grimoire. There will be separate standalone chapters covering the informational stuff I mentioned above, along with sidestories separate from the main plot.

Now...let's do this.

See you soon, and please review!


	2. Interlude: Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy

Author's Note: So, as I said previously, I wanted to provide some snippets to sort of give newcomers an idea of how we got where we currently are in-story (because some who read GONG may have forgotten by now...or didn't read it at all. Seriously, go read it, even if it takes a while).

And who better to explain it than ol' Cayde himself?

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy**

 **"** _ **Preface**_ **"**

 **I will start by saying that I have no idea how Buck got me into this one. If anyone asks, I plead the Fifth...damn it, that's another catchphrase I'll need to research. I don't have the time!**

 **But all joking aside, there are a lot of responsibilities that come with being on the Vanguard. And I do mean a** ** _lot._** **Too much, in my most humble of opinions. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and all that...gah! That's another one! And who the hell is Jack?!**

 **And yes, I** ** _am_** **actually writing down my pauses and random outbursts. It's called a stream of consciousness. It fits the overall theme of this little work.**

 **Namely, helping** ** _you._** **That's right, the one who actually decided to pick up this book and read it. Probably because you saw my name on the cover and thought,** ** _there's_** **a paragon of wisdom, what better way to spend my downtime? I'm flattered, but the truth is, there's a lot of new Guardians out there. You'd think the Ghosts would have found them all by now, but time has a weird way of working when it comes to us. Early on, almost all of them ended up choosing people they knew from before the Collapse, what with being human souls stuck in tiny little drones. Well, for the most part; I have** ** _no_** **idea how to explain Katsuragi's Ghost.**

 **And honestly, I don't want to, because one of the great parts of life is the** ** _mystery_** **: it makes you think,** ** _entices_** **you. If everything were explainable, everything would be...well,** ** _boring._** **There'd be no new horizon to seek, no new adventure to go on, no** ** _reason_** **to wake up and do the same thing over and over and** ** _over_** **again, if there wasn't something more meaningful to make it all worth it.**

 **...that was unexpectedly deep. My apologies, let's backtrack.**

 **Bottom line: you newbies make for some** ** _prime_** **entertainment material. But there are certain things that are helpful to know, in this strange little universe of ours. And ol' Cayde-7 is here to shoot you straight.**

 **Figuratively speaking, that is. I don't think they'll sell a book that's actually capable of shooting the reader. That'd make for kind of a neat little trap though, wouldn't it? Food for thought later...ah** ** _pickles._** **There's another one. How does that one even make sense? What kind of food would thoughts even eat?**

 **Shut up Buck, I wasn't asking you.**

 **And if the person reading this is actually** ** _named_** **Buck, then don't worry, I'm not talking about you. Unless you're my Ghost, reading a copy for some reason. In which case I'm** ** _totally_** **talking about you, you punk.**

 **...I'm going to stop sidetracking myself. Let's begin, shall we?**

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy**

 **"** _ **The Traveler**_ **"**

 **So, first of all, big question is: given how big our universe is, why in the world is our little Solar System so gosh-darn interesting? I mean, not only does it have us, but it's got time-traveling robots, various aliens, and even people with technicolor skin. And robots that can't time-travel. Which is probably a good thing, because man, the stuff I'd be able to do...but seriously, why?**

 ** _Why_** **, you ask? Well, it might have something to do with the big white ball you might have heard of by now called the Traveler. It's kind of a big deal.**

 **Who made it? Nobody knows. Variks - he's a cool guy, we'll get to him later - once said that the Traveler actually doesn't remember** ** _how_** **it got its start, only that it's been around for a long time. Maybe since the beginning of the universe. Maybe even** ** _forever._** **But that's not the important thing. More importantly,** ** _why is it here?  
_** **  
Well, there's a reason it's called the Traveler: it travels from place to place, gifting various species and civilizations the power to wield the Light. That's the stuff that allows you to resurrect after a headshot, a Sparrow accident, or an eating contest gone** ** _horribly_** **wrong, by the way. And that's kind of been its gig. Now, for some reason, there's some metaphysical-slash-paracausal-slash-** ** _something_** **force called the Darkness - original, I know, but I'm not the one in charge of naming things - that's got a bit of a bone to pick with the Traveler. Wherever it sets up shop, the Darkness inevitably comes after it, breaking its stuff. And by stuff, I mean the countless peoples that the Traveler decided to give a hand to during its long cosmic voyage. Kind of a jerk thing to do, if you ask me; it's like the really annoying sibling that sees his brother making something out of Legos, something** ** _cool_** **, and decides to go ahead and break it just** ** _because_** **.**

 **Why no Buck, I'm** ** _not_** **being bitter. I've matured since those dark and terrible days...oh, you want to play it that way? Fine,** ** _Buchanan_** **, but if you call me by my first name** ** _one more time_** **, we will have words. Serious and** ** _unpleasant_** **words.**

 **Anyhow, eventually, the Traveler must have gotten fed up at one point, because it decided that Earth was gonna be the place where it all went down. The story was a** ** _bit_** **more complicated than that, but needless to say, we discovered the Traveler underneath Antarctica in the year 1999, going by the old calendar. And of course, the Traveler started doing its thing: healing the planet, fixing our mistakes, making the other Inner Planets habitable, and generally being a cool dude. So of course, the Darkness has to muck it up in various ways.**

 **On the one hand, you had wish-granting dragons called Ahamkara, which turned out to be the children of a Hive goddess called Nokris. They were a bunch of assholes, and I'm glad they're all dead. On the other hand, you had the Nine, who were a bunch of dicks** ** _and_** **a bunch of assholes, who tried to take the power of the Traveler for themselves. I'm glad they're all dead, too. But** ** _unfortunately_** **, that whole mess resulted in the MAGI using some cryptic mumbo-jumbo to basically shut down the Traveler for the sake of saving us all. I'm told that the Traveler knew this was going to happen, so I guess that makes it okay? I don't know, I've never had my soul crippled, but I imagine it hurts somethin' fierce.**

 **But if you happen to be a Guardian, that whole chain of events is why your Ghost exists.**

 **So the Traveler was essentially in a centuries-long coma. And in that time, while we tried to pick up the pieces, we got visited by the Hive, who wanted to destroy and maybe eat the Traveler; we got visited by the Eliksni - or the Fallen, as we used to call them - who wanted the Traveler** ** _back_** **, and rudely accused us of stealing it from them; we got visited by the Vex, who wanted to study and then do** ** _something_** **with the Traveler that involved taking over everything; and we also got visited by the Cabal, who were thankfully more conventional and just wanted the Traveler to make their Empire more powerful. But yeah, a** ** _lot_** **of people wanted the Traveler.**

 **Then it woke up, thanks to the MAGI. Still not sure how they pulled that off. But the Traveler apparently saw everything around it - including Oryx's Taken, who are a whole** ** _other_** **story - and promptly** ** _nope'd_** **out of Earth's atmosphere toward Mercury.**

 **Sure, a lot of people called that a bit of a dick move, but in all honesty, at the time, we were** ** _kinda_** **in a bad spot. In all honesty, I think it more than made up for it, what with how it stormed into battle alongside the Eliksni and Unit-01 at the Battle of Saturn, which was something that** ** _no one_** **could have seen coming. And if anyone says they saw it coming, they're a filthy liar and should be shunned.**

 **If you ever have time, watch the video pulled from an Awoken Ketch showcasing the Traveler ramming into Oryx's Dreadnaught. And if anyone asks why,** ** _it's a small moon ramming into something as big as_** **our** ** _Moon._** **You don't** ** _need_** **another reason.**

 **These days, the Traveler is basically chilling on Venus, which has sort of become neutral ground among all the various groups in our ragtag alliance. If you ever get a chance, drop by sometime, just to see it up close. Some people with a strong connection to the Light say that it whispers to them, even now. But to my knowledge, only Variks has actually been inside...if you don't count Shinji Ikari or the Speaker, but we'll get to** ** _those_** **two later.**

 **Just promise me that if you** ** _do_** **go to visit the Traveler, try to avoid any of the Psion Flayers that have set up shop on Venus. Not that there's anything wrong with em' (depending on what faction they ended up with, of course), but they can spot an easy mark from a mile away. Oh they'll come up, talk about conducting an experiment with the Light, provide you some innocuous and official-looking waivers, and then** ** _bam_** **, you'll find yourself running on a treadmill powered by your own Arc energy for** ** _hours_** **.**

 **Friggin' Kargen.**

 **Long story short: the Traveler's all right. And it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon.**

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy**

 **"** _ **The Cabal**_ **"**

 **Ha! Bet you thought I'd talk about Guardians or Ghosts or the Darkness, since I just mentioned the Traveler. Nope, we're going to talk about the Cabal now. Why? Well, I have no idea if the person reading this is going to read stuff in a "logical" order, rather than going to the stuff that interests them. So I'm thinking, why not do the same? I want to talk about the Cabal, so now we're talking about the Cabal.**

 **So. Who are they?**

 **Well, aside from being gigantic space pachyderms in pressurized power armor, there's quite a bit to tell. See, they just showed up in our Solar System out of the blue following the Collapse, well after the Fallen and the Hive and the Vex had come around. Apparently, they were** ** _actually_** **investigating the presence of the Vex, only to get distracted by the Traveler. Which is fair, because the Traveler's very distracting.**

 **Had to do a bit of reading (the** ** _horror_** **), but apparently the Cabal had been enemies of the Vex for...a very long time. Like,** ** _stupid_** **long, before the Empire was even a thing. The Vex just showed up one day, and started destroying everything. With some daring work by a guy named Acrius, they repelled the Vex with a mythical weapon called the Exalted, gifted to them by their sun, Kalos. I know, sounds crazy, but if it was a** ** _sentient_** **star, I could see it happening. Don't know if Kalos actually** ** _was_** **sentient, but I'm just saying.**

 **You've probably seen** ** _weirder_** **things, let's be honest. I certainly have.**

 **Acrius started the whole Emperor gig, along with the Praetorate that founded the whole system of Legions that the Cabal use to this day. Many Emperors later, a guy by the name of Calus got the job, and he was...very unorthodox, by Cabal standards. We're talking about a guy who waxed about beauty and food and hedonism galore...oh, and he also liked gold. Still does, but we'll get to that later.**

 **Not a hit with the military, but he had a good approval rating with his people, so he felt safe to do a lot of crazy things. I mean, the guy somehow managed to** ** _trap_** **their sun inside a series of planet-sized rings that rotate around their homeworld, so it could freely roam the cosmos. Do you know what kind of crazy engineering you need to do in order to pull that off? Dr. Akagi (she'll get her own bit, don't worry) does, and she nearly had another reset once she grasped it! Also, that's the reason why their planet, the Fatherworld, currently shares Mars' orbit.**

 **Let's be honest, when you as a species can technically call your own planet a warship, you've hit the big time.**

 **Unfortunately, given the religious connotations involving Kalos, it...wasn't received that well. That's when a guy by the name of Ghaul came in.**

 **Somehow,** ** _he_** **got the Exalted, and used it to overthrow Calus. Crushed him like a grape, I hear. Then he became Emperor (though he also went by Dominus as well, for some reason; maybe he just wanted his own title? I mean, think about it:** ** _Dominus Cayde_** **. I bet you just peed yourself right now, out of pure terror!), and decided to** ** _really_** **ramp up the militarism, complete with extinction events for his vanquished enemies. Pretty brutal, oddly charismatic for a giant warlord...and yet he** ** _idolized_** **the Traveler.**

 **I know, weird, right? See, this** ** _Exalted_** **was powered by the Light. Through that, the Cabal learned about the Traveler. And once Ghaul learned that the Traveler was in our system...well, he brought the proverbial cavalry. His homeworld and a bunch of Legions made the warp to our Solar System, which helped kick-start the Second Cataclysm. Now** ** _that_** **was a raw deal for us.**

 **But the Cabal ended up getting a rawer deal...man, that's a weird word. "Rawer." I feel like I'm playing at being some kind of big cat. Rawr.**

 **Anyhow...their entire history, their entire mythos involving the Exalted? It was a lie. Total fabrication.**

 **See, the Exalted was actually an Evangelion that got lost during the Collapse; this Evangelion got picked up by the Vex, and they** ** _gave_** **it to the Cabal. Why? So the Cabal would then act against someone that, at the time, the Vex considered an even** ** _greater_** **threat.**

 **Take a deep breath and think about that.** ** _Really_** **think. The history of your whole people going back millennia, the lore wrapped around this mythical weapon that you believed was your** ** _savior_** **from a race of rampaging machines...was merely a well-crafted lie, so those same machines could essentially turn you against someone else. All the agency you thought you had as a species, all of the glories you boasted of...were built on something fake.**

 **The Cabal didn't take it well.**

 **After Ghaul got killed during the Battle of Saturn, the whole Empire splintered. Umun'arath, the Primus of All Legions, went about trying to sway the various worlds within the Empire to her side. Calus, who somehow** ** _survived_** **being killed, kind of took credit for killing Ghaul (even though Shinji and Unit-01** ** _totally_** **did all the work. Freakin' kill-stealer), which sort of started a weird kind of cult around him. To be fair, if you're basically a free-floating mind living on as a mass of psionic energy that can take over other people, you probably** ** _deserve_** **to have your own cult. And of course, you have various Cabal warlords of ignoble status all throughout the galaxy who thought to try and stake their own claim.**

 **This was the mess that Empress Caiatl - Ghaul's wife and Calus's daughter, just to add even** ** _more_** **drama - inherited.**

 **All told, I think she did pretty well for herself. She's actually sensible and pragmatic. When faced with the upheaval of her people's entire culture, she decided to narrow down to the essentials of what it means to be Cabal: for them, it's the whole idea of making an oath and** ** _keeping_** **it. They were big on that well before the Empire was a thing, so it was a good choice. Granted, it means they have less than favorable views of rebels and renegades of** ** _any_** **kind, but you can't win em' all. Calus is still a bit of a thorn in her side, but he's kind of a thorn in everyone's side, if that thorn came with magnificent buffets and a** ** _fantastic_** **wardrobe.**

 **Anyhow, bottom line when interacting with the Cabal: they expect you to keep your word, and have no tolerance for lying. So keep your promises, honor your contracts, and tell the truth, and you'll probably be okay when dealing with them. If you're someone who likes tall tales and exaggeration, try to avoid setting up any deals if you're ever subject to their jurisdiction (and not the shared legal code we've somehow managed to haphazardly cobble together; that's another entry all its own), because you can actually be executed if you're caught breaking any kind of oath. Even if it's something as innocuous as overstating at how many points you got in your last Crucible match.**

 **Also, unless you've mastered your A.T. Field (or you're a particularly ballsy Titan), I wouldn't recommend arm wrestling or playing rugby with them.**

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy**

 **"** _ **The Psions**_ **"**

 **While I'm thinking about the Cabal, lemme give you a little insight into the Psions. Who were also part of the Cabal Empire, yet...not Cabal. I know, it's kind of confusing.**

 **From my understanding, the Psions were enslaved untold centuries ago before the reign of Calus, becoming a client race of sorts. They claim to be clairvoyant, but I've beaten** ** _way_** **too many of them in games of poker to believe that...maybe they were just too drunk to read my mind properly. Yeah, let's go with that. Pro-tip: if you ever want to get on a Psion's good side, go with any kind of alcohol with a fruity flavor.** ** _Especially_** **peaches. But make sure you** ** _avoid_** **cherry flavors, because they apparently associate that with you trying to come on to them.**

 **Which may be what you're trying to angle for, if you're into the whole 'xenophilia' thing, so you do you, stranger! I bet Fenchurch would give you a thumbs-up. We'll get to him later.**

 **Anyway. What they**

 ** _apparently_** **lack in clairvoyance, the make up for with mental powers that are not quite physical, not quite spiritual, but still pack a punch. Also, the control they have over their A.T. Fields is mesmerizing. Seriously, you get enough Psions together, and they can make** ** _anything_** **move. Take the Behemoth, for example: a gigantic mech cobbled together from** ** _starship_** **parts, able to actively counter Unit-02 with only thousands of Psions controlling it. If you know anything about Evangelion, you should know that** ** _that's_** **a big deal.**

 **So, if these little guys are so powerful, why exactly did they end up losing to the Cabal?**

 **It's a serious question, cause I wasn't there. Maybe they just lacked the numbers, compared to the imperial Legions. Maybe their metaphysical advantages weren't enough; I mean, every single Cabal soldier is capable of using their A.T. Field as well (which is** ** _seriously_** **unfair). However it happened, they ended up becoming slaves. There were a few Psions of note that maintained some semblance of authority, like this Freeborn gal...Otzel? Ozzy? Ozark? It's something with an 'oh' and a 'zee'. Eh, I'll look it up later. Heck, there was at least one Legion that was pretty much comprised entirely of Psions, called the Ice Reapers. They actually invented the Juggernaut, by the way. If you don't know what that is, look it up on your own time. Trust me, it's worth it, but think of a Behemoth that's only Evangelion-sized, and made out of tanks and gunships instead of space-faring vessels.**

 **But in the end, despite whatever autonomy they may have had, the Cabal were the ones who called the shots. So, several years after the Second Cataclysm...there was a revolt.**

 **Nobody really knows if there was one mastermind, or many; however, in light of the Separatists' actions throughout the Empire's extrasolar territory before the War of Unification, enough of the Psions felt plucky enough to start a Rebellion. Which I get, to be honest; wanting to take control over your own fate, to seize your destiny, I totally get that.**

 **Unfortunately, that Rebellion happened in our backyard, so a lot of them ended up fleeing to Earth, or to Mercury, or to the Reef, seeking asylum. And that involves...uncomfortable questions. And a lot of em'.**

 **For example, why** ** _specifically_** **were they fleeing? Did they commit any crimes on the way out? Were they of a particular character that would cause** ** _problems?_** **Stuff like that, in the face of creatures with really powerful minds that may or may not be capable of mental** ** _suggestions._** **Just saying.**

 **Agh, writing this part is difficult. It was a real crappy deal, but I certainly couldn't blame those who simply felt like the Psions were taking advantage of our generosity in a time where we couldn't afford to do otherwise. That's the thing about competing factions that have mutual parity: you can't afford to act with impunity. Diplomacy's messy, like that. Then came the War of Unification.**

 **And...well, I've often heard some ancient songs play at the Antique Saloon in the City's Wei Ning District (seriously, go there if you want to have good food, good drinks, and a good time.** ** _Especially_** **on Taco Tuesdays!), and one of them has lyrics asking what war is good for. Now, the song answers 'absolutely nothing'...which is a nice message. An ideal one.**

 **But practically speaking, a war for survival against a shared enemy does** ** _wonders_** **for glossing over some mutual tensions. Umun'arath and her Separatists were that shared enemy.**

 **It sucks, but that's our universe for you.**

 **Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say the Psions have completely integrated. I mean, it all differs depending on where they ended up, be it on Earth, or in the Reef, or on Mercury with the Eliksni. Or with Calus's Loyalists. Heck, a significant portion of Psions remained loyal to Caiatl's Empire, so it's actually something that it'll have to be addressed by them at some point or another. That's one of the difficulties of being a diaspora, with no true homeland to call your own.**

 **Well, they** ** _had_** **one, but it got blown up by the Cabal after their defeat all those years ago. So...yeah. Awkward.**

 **Then again, life is a whole series of awkward moments. We'll just have to play it by ear.**

 **In the meantime, if you want to try your luck with the Psions, I would recommend not playing blackjack. They** ** _will_** **be better than you at counting cards.**

 **Yes, even if you're an Exo with a robotic mind. Trust me on that one.**

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Book - Cayde's Guide to the Galaxy**

 **"** _ **The Eliksni**_ **"**

 **You know, I think we should talk about a rather uncomfortable subject. If you haven't been around long, you might notice that there's quite a bit of tension among our little Alliance. Self-explanatory, honestly, given how we all used to be at each other's throats. But the ones that have been the** _ **most**_ **difficult...are undoubtedly the Eliksni. Or the Fallen, as we used to call em'. A lot of people still call em' that; kinda hard to remove so much animosity that has decades of backing behind it.**

 **Probably because it turns out, they're just like us, in a way.**

 **See, humanity's introduction to the Eliksni came after the Collapse. We had enough issues with the Risen Warlords, but the Dark Age just had to go '** _ **and then suddenly, ALIENS!**_ **' on us. Raiding parties, piracy, scavengers, and a whole lot of murdering. All told, a** _ **very**_ **strong first impression. And just when it seems we're getting our act together with the formation of the Consensus and the dawn of the City Age, they brought a massive invasion threatening to wipe out the whole place. I mean, we totally kicked ass, but it didn't do anything to endear them to us.**

 **That kind of set the tone for all of interactions with the Fallen from there on out, no matter what House they belonged to. The Battle of Twilight Gap was an even closer call.**

 **But then, many years down the line, we started getting word from the Reef that they had a friendly Eliksni by the name of Variks, of the House of Tabris. Some pieces started getting filled in, and not a few of us wondered about what** _ **could**_ **have been.**

 **See, the Traveler used to be the patron of the Eliksni; they called it the Great Machine.**

 **On their homeworld of Eliks, the Traveler uplifted a single member of fifteen different species. These fifteen would become known as the Progenitors: Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel, Gaghiel, Israfel, Sandalphon, Matarael, Sahaquiel, Iruel, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, Armisael, and Tabris. I know, kind of jarring for two of them to not have names ending in 'el', but there are certain historians who have some** _ **really**_ **strange conspiracy theories about those names. Something to do with angels, I think. Might be good for a laugh, if you're bored one day! But anyway, these Progenitors became the founders of the Houses of the Eliksni, and with the Light of the Traveler empowering them, they proceeded to create a new civilization, a Confederacy that spanned an untold number of star systems. Each particular species had certain things they specialized in, due to biology if nothing else, but there had been a sort of harmony about it, by Variks' telling. They had a Golden Age, lasting who knows how long.**

 **Then...they had their own Collapse.**

 **They called it the Whirlwind. As it turns out, the Hive and the Taken were jerks to everyone, because they attacked all of the worlds of the Eliksni. One by one, their Progenitors - proverbial gods - either fell in battle, or were Taken. The House of Matarael fled entirely, which didn't help. A lot of them considered the loss of Zeruel to be the turning point. I would too, if I lost an ally who could literally** _ **resist**_ **being Taken. And yes, that was totally a thing. Eventually, there was a big showdown on Eliks, between the Taken King and the Kell of House Tabris, Chelchis...and when it seemed like his defeat was assured, the Traveler fled as well.**

 **Yeah, you might have picked up on a bit of a pattern by now.**

 **So the entire Confederacy was essentially broken. The Houses of Sandalphon, Sahaquiel, and Armisael were extinct in their entirety. All of the Progenitors had been lost, by most accounts; all that was left was the corpse of Gaghiel and the soulstuff of Tabris that took residence in Variks, bereft of the power that made them what they were. Some Houses turned to exploration, to try and eke out a meager existence as roaming pirates. Others tried to scavenge what was left of their worlds after the Taken and the Hive moved on. There was a lot of infighting, or so they say.**

 **Then...our Collapse happened. They all** _ **felt**_ **it, and began making their way to our Solar System. The House of Bardiel - those gooey blobs of blue you might have seen floating around - were simply the first to arrive. And then they saw the fact that the Traveler was here in a shattered husk, and promptly concluded that we had stolen it. Which is why they used to call us 'thieves'. It was like their favorite curse word.**

 **We called em' Fallen, because even** _ **before**_ **we learned all this, the fact that such disparate species had shared weapons and shared technology and shared modes of government was clue enough about their former greatness. A Kell to rule, a Prime Servitor to create the ether they lived on in the wake of the Traveler's loss, and an Archon Priest to commune with the Prime Servitor, to protect it, and direct the flow of ether: every House had one, for the most part. Unless they got killed, which was a not uncommon occurrence.**

 **But fighting was pretty much all we seemed to know. They wanted the Traveler, and were willing to kill us all for it. We weren't about to give up what we thought was our best hope of survival.**

 **Then...things got crazier. We managed to yoink SIVA out from under the noses of Houses Bardiel and Ramiel...even though they don't have noses, yes I know Buck, lemme finish. So, SIVA gave us our first edge in a long time, allowed us to start taking back territory we had lost since Twilight Gap. Even got two of their Ketches out of it! Then, with their** _ **distinctive**_ **timing, the Fallen managed to interrupt the first formal alliance between the City and the Reef with a declaration of war. A guy named Skolas, of House Zeruel; he managed to unite the Houses in a way that hadn't been done in** _ **centuries.**_ **He led a revolt from the Reef, escaped with a bunch of stuff, caused a lot of collateral damage in the process...you know, standard fare. Pissed the Queen off something fierce though. But his grand** _ **plan**_ **...well, it involved Vex tech, which is usually never a good thing. We thought it would have involved pulling members of his House from the past and into the present, to give them an unbeatable numbers advantage...instead, we actually got** _ **Zeruel.  
**_ **  
Yep. Turns out the reason Zeruel was lost? It's because Skolas literally pulled him through time.**

 **The big guy didn't take it that kindly. And when I say big, I mean** _ **BIG.**_ **I've heard some youngsters refer to him as Big Z. Which is** _ **really**_ **funny, because it also makes some Zeruelim sputter with rage at the supposed blasphemy. Then Asuka-3 usually shows up to tell them to knock it off or else she'll show them what** _ **she**_ **showed Big Z on Io, and that kind of makes em' back off, because** _ **nobody**_ **wants to upset Zeruel's waifu...oh come on Buck, it's not like she'll ever read something geared towards newbies. And unlike many jokes that can be blamed on me, I did** _ **not**_ **start this one, so she can't say anything!***

 **Anyway, Zeruel then expelled** _ **all**_ **the Vex from Mercury, and basically terraformed it until it became...like, well, a new Eliks. Complete with an atmosphere full of ether and everything. Needless to say, practically every single Eliksni ended up there eventually. Including Gaghiel, once he got revived (which is another story, and** _ **man**_ **this entry's getting too lengthy for comfort). To cut a long story short, the Traveler eventually ended up back on Mercury after the City got sacked during the Second Cataclysm...and not a few of us wondered if the Traveler had chosen to leave us, like it had once left the Fallen.**

 **Well...thanks to one Shinji Ikari who went there to negotiate on our behalf, it didn't end up like that. Now, I don't know much** _ **negotiating**_ **was done, per se; based on what Variks says (seriously, the guy is so friggin' tight-lipped, even all these years later), he basically fought Zeruel on** _ **foot**_ **(I always knew that kid was a special kind of crazy) and then talked to the Traveler. From the inside, which made** _ **so**_ **many Warlocks and Cryptarchs jealous, I can't even tell you. But in the end, no matter what was said, what mattered was what they did: as one,** _ **all**_ **of the Eliksni charged into the Battle of Saturn, alongside their Great Machine.**

 **It was a really weird sight.**

 **But in the wake of that Battle, there's always the hard part: figuring out what to do next. It's hard, to ignore so many years of mutually-sustained bloodshed. And I should know. Ask around about a Sachielix named Taniks, and you'll get what I mean.**

 **In the end, though, we had to make do. It helps that Variks is pretty easy to get along with, and is the most human-looking out of all of em' (seriously, House Shamshel has a bunch of laser whip-wielding purple snakes, while House Arael has** _ **psychic birds made of sapient electromagnetic energy**_ **; I'm not wrong to be wigged out by that, right?!). We kind of keep to ourselves, for the most part. A lot of interaction is done on Venus, on neutral ground...or in the Crucible, of all places. I know a few people who have managed to get some actual working relationships going, usually those who never lost anyone during darker times.**

 **Then again, sometimes you get surprised...but those aren't my stories to tell.**

 **All in all, they've come a long way, and so have we. Never thought we'd ever been in a situation like this, but life's weird like that.**

 ***** ** _Editor's Note: Don't expect to see a lot of these, but just for the record, Asuka-3 DID eventually read this. And yes, she did have something to say to Cayde, in the form of treating his decapitated head like a basketball. Of the many videos that exist of the incident, I would recommend searching for 'Dunkmaster Sohryu', if only because it shows Cayde resurrecting afterwards and criticizing her technique._**

xxxx

More to come in these little interludes from our favorite Hunter Vanguard.

See you soon, and please review!


	3. The Realms of the Dead and the Living

**Grimoire: The Quarantine**

 **"** ** _I've had enough Japan for one lifetime. And yes, that does include all of the dying and resurrecting, you joker. - Omar Agah_** **"**

 **In the aftermath of the Battle of Saturn, the Hive as an enemy force were wiped away from the Solar System. But their mark remained.**

 **In the wake of Shinji Ikari's Ascension, the warships and war-moons that had been active at the time were seemingly annihilated, or transported elsewhere; either way, no trace had been left behind. This did not appear to apply to the broken remnants that littered the Solar System throughout, nor to the Hive structures that infected the proverbial flesh of Earth and its Moon. As such, there are many places that bear the residual taint of that wretched and hateful race.**

 **Certain places have become the subject of historical and archaeological inquiry, such as the shattered war-moon that lies in the depths of the Caspian Sea. Some seek out empty spires and broken Tomb Ships that lie scattered across the Earth or the Reef, to appease their curiosity or to satisfy a dare. The capabilities of House Arael, the expertise of the Psions, the watchful eyes of the MAGI, and the knowledge passed down by Eris Morn are generally sufficient to catch any traces of mental contagions.**

 **However, the same cannot be said for Old Japan.**

 **Although it is not unique in terms of Hive presence (one could argue that the Hellmouth on Luna is more grandiose and impressive), it is different in one aspect: the Quarantine that prevents all unauthorized access to the Japanese mainland. Thanks to a ritual that allowed the Nine to skim along the Ascendant Realm to reach Earth simultaneously during the Second Cataclysm, a hole was burned into spacetime within NERV-Japan: a hole that still persists, to this day.**

 **Nerv had established an outpost within Hakone after the Threefold Invasion; when they attempted to restaff it following the Second Cataclysm, personnel began to mysteriously disappear without warning. When it became known that they had been unintentionally slipping into the Ascendant Realm - even if they were miles away from the ancient Geofront - the order was made to prohibit all unauthorized access to Old Japan. To this date, none who have fallen into the Ascendant Realm have returned.**

 **After so many years, the spacetime anomaly has yet to grow or shrink. Mercifully, no Hive have been sighted. One day, perhaps, a greater effort will be made to close the portal for good.**

 **But for now, the Iron Lords, the House of Israfel, and the Red Legion maintain a strict no-fly zone around Old Japan. Any Guardians or researchers who wish to access Japanese territory south of House Israfel's traditional holdings in Hokkaido must obtain prior majority approval from the Consensus, the Primus of the Red Legion, and the Kell of House Israfel.**

xxxx

/10 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/

/Old Japan/

Ritsuko Akagi had seen many things in her long life: things that she had witnessed and forgotten and remembered all over again. Recent years had been...better, for her. Once, it seemed like a reset was on her proverbial chopping block every few years. Certain times had been more...strenuous, than others.

Never had she been more grateful for the ability to smoke, than in a time like this, back in the wretched corpse that had been her homeland: the temptation to reset was stark, and harsh.

(She had been asked to join NERV-Japan, to partake of a great project. The prospect of working under a brilliant mind like Yui Ikari had been tantalizing, and the promise of possibly mending her...less than stellar relationship with mother had been appealing. Little did she know, that entering that wretched Geofront would open her eyes to a world of foul secrets and dark powers, where death seemed to be a constant Sword of Damocles. For what else could be expected, being a part of a project that was building titanic weapons out of the demonic flesh of a slumbering god, or being drawn into the tangled web of Gendo Ikari's endless gambits with a time-traveler? That it all fed into her mother's sadistic mania only heightened her despair.)

Akagi-81 puffed irritably, resisting the urge to scratch at her face. Being an Exo and all, it wouldn't have been the same anyway, even if she had bothered to invest in the more... _advanced_ tactile sensory suites.

"Your smoke smells awful."

Akagi-81 shifted her synthetic green eyes towards the other Exo in their little party. "Didn't know you had gotten olfactory sensors installed." Unlike her relatively simple garb - hardy pants and tunic bearing the sigils of her faction Nerv, several blue satchels with data tablets and tools, and an old white _labcoat_ of all things, _why had she brought this with her?!_ \- the other Exo was a Warlock bearing the colors and signs of the Praxic Warlocks, and armed to the proverbial teeth. "What was the occasion?"

Eriana-3 was quiet, staring resolutely outside the back of the Harvester they were travelling upon. Finally, she answered, "wanted to experience the smell of Shaxx's Roadhouse, instead of using a Memory Chip." And that was all she said.

Frankly, she didn't need to add anymore. Ritsuko had enough experience with loss and sorrow to empathize. "Fair enough."

(The reports had been swift and frantic; the realization that one of the MAGI Warminds had attacked the Fatherworld induced a strange bit of delirious panic into her. Not again, not now, not after they had come so far from the days of strife and bloodshed!)

"...do you think we'll actually find anything of use?" inquired the _other_ Warlock that was tagging along with them, wearing somewhat more drab clothing with hints of bronze and copper interwoven into them. All told, it was fairly nondescript compared to the diamond-shaped shield strapped to his back, glowing with an inner Light and formed from living Vex metal. In a sense, it served as his gateway to more Light, in light of how he had lost his Ghost so long ago. Then again, Praedyth was hardly your typical Guardian. The Aegis that he wielded was no different. "That woman seemed rather...maniacal."

"She was," admitted Akagi-81.

(There had been a lot of debriefing to do after the Battle of Saturn, given the sheer amount of geopolitical and strategic upheavals that had occurred. It was only in the midst of that strange circus that she discovered the ultimate fate of her mother: namely, death by Praedyth. Needless to say, she wasn't too torn up about it, given the Warlock's testimony; given all that she herself had known, there had been some dark satisfaction in realizing she had been pierced through the heart by the Warlock's hand. If nothing else, it served as anatomical proof that her mother had _had_ a heart.)

"But many geniuses tend to be maniacal. My mother was no different."

"...that doesn't answer my question."

The ancient Exo sighed. "She'll have something in NERV that we can use. If nothing else, it'll allow us to narrow our explanations down." Namely: how had a Warmind been convinced to attack the Fatherworld? "Wille's own investigations have found nothing so far to explain the decision: no executable, no rogue piece of code, no timed instructions hidden within the programming...and Clovis Bray is too thorough to let anything slip by."

"So what do _you_ believe it's tied to?" inquired Eriana-3.

"Well..."

(She toiled away underneath the hulking mainframes of MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, and CASPER. It was strange, considering these strange biocomputers, to understand the effects they could enact upon the physical and spiritual realm if acting in concert. Her mother's own explanations were rather cryptic as to the how or the why, but in the face of their tangible results, few complained or asked questions. And, in light of the all-consuming work that was ' _Evangelion development_ '...it was easy to let that curiosity fall by the wayside.)

"...have you wondered exactly _how_ the MAGI are able to do what they do?" Naught but silence, from the two Warlocks. "The funny thing is, the MAGI don't exactly know how either. They can't consciously explain the particular power source they draw upon to act in unison the way they do; even MAYA, who was kit-bashed and based on the mind of my old assistant from the Time Before, isn't capable of precisely articulating the exact source of her capabilities." It was honestly infuriating, in a way; so much knowledge and so much capability, powered by something they would not explain. Quite frankly, Ritsuko suspected that they simply _couldn't_ , whether it was due to an intentional design choice on the part of her mother, or whether it was the equivalent of subconscious knowledge that the MAGI simply _knew,_ in their proverbial heart of hearts, without knowing _how_ they knew. "There's a knowledge gap, there. And it's in the gaps where unsavory types like to sneak in."

The steady hum of the Harvester's engines filled the silence rather well. as Ritsuko and her Guardian handlers watched the landscape pass by below them. Decrepit Hive structures, ruined towns wracked by overgrowth, blasted landscapes filled with desiccated dragon bones...all of it formed a rather somber image.

Eventually, however, as they passed the remnants of Tokyo to their east, and as Mount Fuji loomed on the horizon, they began to descend towards the Hakone Caldera. "...hmph." It all looked like crap.

" **We will be dropping you off at the edge of the Caldera.** " The troop transport's intercom rumbled with the voice of the Red Legion Brachus overseeing this little expedition. " **You will have to make the rest of the way on your own. If the Spatial Anomaly showcases a spike in dimensional perturbations, then we shall evacuate immediately.** " The Legionnaires grouped afore in the troop bay stared at them quietly, inaudible beneath their helmets. Perhaps they were idly chatting about what foolish escapade they had been brought into...or perhaps they were simply glaring daggers because of the assault on the Fatherworld.

"You are more than welcome to join us," remarked Praedyth, trying to ease the tension.

" **As tempting as that is,** " and the Cabal Centurion in question truly _did_ sound tempted, surprisingly enough, " **my orders are clear. If you are able to actually find anything that unveils that cause of your Warmind's attack...we may reconsider.** " With a slight lurch, the Harvester slowed to a halt by the eastern shores of Lake Ashi, nearly two miles away from the rim exposing the Geofront to the open air. " **Good hunting, Earthborn.** " The trio hopped out, and the Harvest swiftly ascended back into the sky, to perform overwatch from above.

"It's always intriguing how swiftly Cabal technology can move," murmured Eriana-3.

"Big and burly doesn't necessarily mean slow," answered Akagi-81, her green eyes flickering briefly; the very air seemed charge with something heavy. "Praedyth; you're _sure_ your Aegis is equipped for an emergency evacuation?"

"It's linked with an emergency Gate Network code, keyed to the Pax," answered the Warlock, lightly tapping the shield on his back. "At my command, anything within a five meter radius of my position will be teleported to another Gate in North America, in the Pax's territory. An extreme method of retreat...but it's at least a guaranteed one."

Eriana-3 huffed, a sleek red helmet transmatting over her head. "I still have mixed feelings about the Pax being in our alliance..."

"Who doesn't?" replied Ritsuko, taking measured strides along the shoreline.

"...given that I spent a great deal of time with the Pax after Panoptes's final defeat, I think my opinion is more qualified than either of yours," remarked Praedyth.

"And?"

"...'mixed feelings' is an adequate term."

Eriana-3 rolled her eyes. "And there we have it."

Before long, the trio found themselves overlooking the edge of the open Geofront: a depressing sight it was, to have her memories of NERV-Japan at the height of its glory overlapping with the wretched wreck before them. _The name 'Black Moon' honestly fits better._ Blasted soil and scorched earth instead of forest, foul Hive architecture in place of bunkers and domes, cracked glass and worn paint on a pyramid complex that had once been the epitome of 'sterling'. Of particular note, however, was the great hole in the ground, from which flickered occasional wisps of green radiance and black energy. _So that's where Unit-01 erupted from after defeating Nokris_ , mused Akagi-81. Eris Morn's mission report had also mentioned the ambient Hive presence, usually in the form of sickly green pyres; now, not a hint of emerald flame could be seen, making the place seem even _more_ foreboding and dead. _What a cheerful work environment._ "We'll stay away from Terminal Dogma for now," said the aged Exo, her arms wrapping around Praedyth and Eriana's shoulders. "Try not to drop me."

The Warlocks dutifully nodded, taking a step over the rim as they slowly glided into the depths of the Black Moon.

xxxx

The Harvester gunship slowly hovered in the sky above the Hakone region, dropping a few soldiers in isolated pockets around the area. Jet packs, in combination with the protection of their _Anima Murum_ , were enough to break the fall of the Cabal and the Psions as they dropped from thousands of feet in the air. Such was the fortune of being part of a spiritually gifted race.

Bracus Tha'aurn quietly grumbled to himself, wishing that he could be able to go down there. Alas, he had his orders.

It was strange, though; seeing the corpse of an old nation, littered with the remnants of an ancient scourge. It reminded him of the Moon he had investigated all those years ago, before the military escalation that the natives called the Second Cataclysm.

("You did not join the rest of the Sand Eaters when they betrayed our Empress. Why should we trust you?" He was honest, speaking to Primus Ca'uor; his particular role within the Sand Eaters had been tactical infantry, and special reconnaissance of enemy battlegrounds. The study of the foreign...fascinated him. And he knew that joining the Separatists, aside from violating his higher oaths to the Imperial family, would only give him fewer opportunities for research.)

A shame, that the Sand Eaters had chosen so poorly. Then again, the rank-and-file had rarely shared his perspective on things. After all, there was much to learn from their enemies.

("Do not let the Spatial Anomaly threaten your men unnecessarily. But ensure that the Earthborn don't pull anything...unorthodox.")

A reasonable order, in the wake of the sudden attack on the Fatherworld. For all that the trio were ostensibly investigating this decrepit base for information about the MAGI, there was still the possibility that they could be up to something. If they detected any unusual readings - and unusual ran a _wide_ spectrum indeed - then he was authorized to request a tactical missile strike from the nearest firebase on the continental mainland. _Let's hope things go according to plan, Empress willing.  
_  
In the meantime? Well, there were at least _some_ things he could get some data on.

" **Sir,** " said one of the Psions under his command, their voice filtering through his helmet, " **we have begun psionic measurements of the skeletal remnants.** "

Speaking of data! "And?"

" **As anticipated, they are still passively radiating energy on both psychic and metaphysical scales.** "

"I see." How _fascinating._

(As he compared his personal notes on the Hive with the Earthborn's Cryptarchy, he found himself intrigued by the discovery that ancient beasts from their legends - known as Ahamkara - actually traced back to a Hive goddess by the name of Nokris. Furthermore, this Nokris had also been the apparent source of the organic matter that comprised the Evangelions! What could have caused such a divergence of development between the Hive, the Ahamkara, and the Evangelions?)

"Keep measuring. Don't approach any further than the null-zone." Namely, the minimum safe distance beyond which entities with any _passive_ measure of psionic or spiritual influence no longer affected their surroundings. After all, there was no point in risking mental contamination.

" **Hail!** "

xxxx

Akagi-81 grimaced, audibly growling as she and her cohort made their way towards the main pyramid complex.

"Is anything wrong?" inquired Praedyth.

"Just..."

(She frowned, rubbing irritably at her eyes. She stared intently at the corner of her office in Central Dogma, before turning back to her computer with a huff. The thought of shadows _looking_ at her was downright ludicrous...no matter what rumors her subordinates kept bandying on about.)

"...nostalgia." So to speak.

"You're not going to reset on us, are you?" idly remarked Eriana-3, floating over a deep divot in the ground.

"Hey, I know I've got a bit of a reputation, but I've managed _two decades_ since my last reset! I'm fine."

"That's not impressive," grumbled the Exo Warlock.

By normal Exo standards, Eriana's judgment was an undeniable truth. But Ritsuko was far from normal, for good or ill. "Whatever." Dr. Akagi gazed down at a tunnel leading deep underground, one of many that had been carved through the Geofront by its former Hive-y occupants. _Might as well get a head start._ The Nerv representative quietly pulled out a tablet of sorts, establishing a connection that she had set up ahead of time. After going through various encrypted channels, the recipient answered. " **Hello?** "

Akagi-81 took in the recipient's expression - pale skin, hazel eyes filled with wary caution, short black hair - and said, "Hello Eris Morn. Remember that hunch I told you about?"

The Hunter's lip briefly curled, as though she recalled a bad memory. " **Yes, as a matter of fact.** "

"Well, given how long Nokris has been dead and the fact we've not had any actual Hive present in Old Japan since the Battle of Saturn, is there anything we should expect?"

" **Hive arcana are long-lived, Dr. Akagi. The Nine's portal will undoubtedly have side-effects, as well. I recommend not touching** ** _any_** **sort of rune or seal without my prior authorization.** "

"Hmph. I figured as much. I'll contact you again if we come across one."

" ** _When_** **you come across one.** "

"Of course, of course..." Then, in a fit of pique, or perhaps a more solemn desire to find something to distract her from NERV-Japan's foulness, she asked, "so...how soon?"

xxxx

/Northern Outskirts of the Farm, Trostland, Old Europe/

Eris Morn, sitting quietly in a reclining chair, briefly gazed down at her swollen belly. "...I believe it will be relatively soon," she diplomatically said, not wanting to speak aloud when unauthorized bystanders might be made aware.

(Part of her wanted to feel angry or frustrated at the Governor's orders; she was _not_ an invalid. However, Zavala's logic was sound, and his intentions were noble. Besides...she could't recall if she had ever experienced anything like a vacation since becoming a Guardian. Thus, she agreed to a period of isolation, until her pregnancy ran its course.)

" **And how soon is that?** " inquired Akagi-81.

Eris rolled her eyes. "We only have one prior case to go on," namely, Sai Mota's own pregnancy, which had lasted for just shy of _eleven_ months, "and I don't know if my particular circumstances will cause any...complications." Namely, the fact that in Sai's case, the father had been Omar Agah: a fellow Guardian, but a 'mere' Guardian nonetheless. Shinji Ikari...well, at this point, for those who were in the know, it went without saying that he was far beyond being a 'mere' Guardian these days.

" **What sorts of complications?** "

"Don't you have a mission to complete?" Honestly, it was bad enough that the rumors of the attack on the Fatherworld were running rampant; did the Exo have to tarry when it came to getting potential answers?

Akagi-81 sighed. " **Fine. I'll be in touch. Tell your handlers I said hello.** " And with that, the connection ended.

xxxx

Eriana-3 looked oddly at Akagi-81 as she pocketed the tablet. "What was _that_ about?"

"Classified," easily answered Ritsuko.

Praedyth was tellingly silent, which caught the Exo Warlock's attention. "And how do _you_ know?"

"...I have my ways." There were advantages to being able to transform into pure Light, after all.

Eriana-3 narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Be that way. Shall we continue on?"

And so they delved further into the nightmare realm that was NERV-Japan's wreckage.

xxxx

Eris Morn sighed, quietly setting the comm tablet down. _Hopefully, their foray into NERV-Japan will be...fruitful._ She had spent enough time in the decrepit country to know that it was not a place for casual jaunts; even less so, due to the Quarantine. Speaking of Japan...she had a sudden hankering for fish. With a calm movement, she slowly rose out of her chair, impulsively placing a hand underneath her abdomen for support. Even though her enhanced physiology made the more typical pains of pregnancy a non-factor, there was still something to be said for having a Light-empowered child.

(Suraya had pulled a few strings, and gotten in touch with someone who owned a cottage near the Farm. Although sworn to secrecy, the owner had been more than happy to put up with her for the duration...probably because of who the father was, more than anything else.)

Eris quietly opened the pantry, grabbing a tin of anchovies and a box of crackers. She then turned to the fridge, reaching for horse radish and soy sauce; lastly, she grabbed a water bottle that had been laced with ether.

(She had known from Sai Mota's experiences that her fetus would be...ornery at times. But when a bolt of lightning speared through her abdomen - quickly healed by Rose, thankfully - she knew that additional methods would be needed to calm the churning power of the Lightbearer within her womb. Variks had been more than happy to provide answers. Apparently, pureblood Awoken births had long been known for similar difficulties throughout the Reef's history, and had devised several methods of toning down or pacifying the paracausal powers within the unborn; having once been a loyal denizen of the Reef for over a hundred years, he was well-versed in all of them.)

Eris quietly drank of the etherious water, letting the sweet aftertaste settle in her stomach - the trace energy filtering through, evoking a calming sense of fulfillment - before eating her fishy snack. She had long become accustomed to unusual cravings, as much of a stereotype as it had been.

(Omar Agah, during one of his regular appointments with the owner of the cottage, arched an eyebrow as she poured chocolate sauce and pepper flakes on her chicken sandwich. "Okay, _now_ you're just messing with me." When she pointedly reminded him that Sai Mota had once _demanded_ a bowl of corn flakes, mustard, and tomato sauce, he promptly shut up.)

As Eris devoured her savory, salty, and slightly sweet concoction, she quietly glanced over at the full-length mirror that was leaning against a nearby wall, taking in her skewed appearance: loose gowns and very stretchy sweatpants were a far cry from a Hunter's normal garb.

' _:P_ ', chimed her Ghost within her mind.

 _I'm not that vain._

(The first time she had needed to wear an outfit straight from a maternity shop, the cottage owner had been quick to take pictures, despite her protests. "Are you _kidding?_ I imagine that Shinji-kun would absolutely _adore_ pictures of you like this." Her protests continued, although slightly muted.)

' _XD_ '

 _Believe what you want to believe, Rose._ Despite her Ghost's quirks, she was grateful for her old friend's presence...beyond the obvious necessity of needing a quick revival whenever her unborn child unleashed another surge of Light-based power. If nothing else, the old taboos regarding Guardian parentage made sense for that factor alone.

"I'm back!"

The pale Hunter quietly turned towards the front door beyond the kitchen and the living room, watching a young Japanese girl - bearing the physiology of a young teenager, if that - walk inside. With reddish-brown hair wrapped in a casual ponytail, the cottage owner flashed her a smile. "Got the hunger pangs?" asked Sakura Suzuhara.

"That would be putting it mildly."

(She had been surprised to find out that the cottage belonged to Suzuhara. "Well, it was actually a gift of sorts? I kept refusing payment from civilians thanking me for A.T. Field training, so a lot of them just got together one day and built this place for me." The former Guardian shrugged, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "At least it makes for a nice vacation home away from the City, neh?")

Sakura smiled, pulling up a chair opposite of Eris. "Is it time for another session?"

"Please, if you don't mind. I hope Sai and Omar's son wasn't _too_ rambunctious this time."

"Eh..."

xxxx

/Earlier/

/Sai and Omar's Kinda-Sorta-Secret Cabin, 50 Miles Northwest of the Reborn City/

 _Sakura Suzuhara looked intently at the young Tarlowe Agah-Mota, who was staring up at her with innocent eyes. Then she turned to the side of Sai and Omar's living room, which had a conspicuously large hole burned through it. "...so, let me guess: he breathed fire?"_

 _"Not just any fire;_ _ **Void**_ _fire."_

 _Sai's words caused her to wince. "Ouch."_

 _"Actually took my head off with it," groused Omar, looking strangely pleased by the most recent incident of wanton mayhem._

 _Tarlowe burbled with naive glee, instinctively knowing that he was the center of attention.  
_

xxxx

"...he's a work in progress," admitted Sakura.

Eris hummed thoughtfully, quietly finishing off her bottle of etherious water. "I hope you are not too tired."

"Of course not! Your kid's simple by comparison," said Sakura with a ready grin. "I'll be in the living room when you're ready." The youthful girl walked with a surety that belied her appearance, a sense of unspoken confidence that only seasoned adults possessed. Though it was no surprise, given that she was over a hundred years old by this point. It was strange, to think about the circumstances of their initial meeting, during that fateful mission to reclaim Unit-01 so long ago.

(Ikari had bolted down the forested slopes of Mount Tehanashiyama, and she had commanded their fireteam to follow. What a shock it had been, to find that he had seen another living soul in the Hive-infested ruin of Old Japan...and, as it would turn out, one that he had known from the Time Before.)

Even stranger, to think that they would become friends.

(She had already plied Misato Katsuragi for a multitude of stories involving Shinji Ikari's past...and the Iron Lady's constant teasing was an additional reason to avoid her. Hence why she inevitably sought out Sakura Suzuhara, to learn more about Ikari's past. When the girl had inquired as to _why_ she sought stories of such a thing...well, her facial expressions had apparently explained enough. "Oh, so it's like _that_ , eh~?" smugly cooed the girl. Mercifully, that was as far as Sakura's teasing went.)

Then again, a lot of things in Eris's life had changed. Given how much civilization itself had changed after the end of the Second Cataclysm, perhaps it was only natural.

The pregnant Hunter slowly moved into the living room, idly looking at the walls laden with paintings of Japanese landscapes and pictures of various peoples that Sakura had helped throughout the years. Taking prominent position were 'graduation photos' of the various classes she had taught A.T. Field manipulation to, among which included certain famous faces like Wei Ning, Ikora, and Lord Shaxx. Her eyes trailed over to the mantle above the fireplace, on which sat Sakura's most treasured possessions: the cracked shell of Ai, Sakura's dead Ghost; the false Thorn that had once been wielded by the late Dredgen Vale, Sakura's unlikely comrade; and an aged and faded family photo of the Suzuhara family, depicting Sakura, her father, and her brother Toji.

("I always had it in the bottom of my backpack, in a little plastic slip," explained Sakura, while they were eating hot stew on a cold Winter's night. "My old man had always been particular about preservin' stuff...and after I learned how to hide from the Hive using my A.T. Field, I made a beeline for Hakone to see if anything was salvageable. Course, our old apartment complex had all but collapsed by then...but I was able to at least grab _one_ photo before I decided to hightail it out of there. Nearly got spotted by a Wizard. Totally worth it though." Discussions turned towards Eris's own past...and that was something she was less than certain of.)

Strange, how something as simple as a photo could hold such value.

' _o?o_ '

Then again, perhaps it wasn't that strange. To hold something tangible, instead of the fleeting whispers of memory...

"You ready?"

Eris, her thoughts interrupted, turned towards Sakura; the girl had taken a position in the reclining chair, hands folded in a solemn, sagely pose. "Yes." She quietly moved over towards the couch, lying down on her back. The Hunter's breathing slowed, as she began to manipulate her soul. "I'm ready."

"Okay...focus inward, just like before..." As the proverbial master of A.T. Fields spoke familiar instructions, Eris tuned her out. Instead, her intentions turned inward and downward, to the life within her womb. The A.T. Field of Sakura Suzuhara began to swirl around her, isolating them from the spiritual ambience of the world. There was just her soul...

 _Hello._

...and that of her child.

 _-mama-_

 _Yes, it is your mother. It's time again._

 _-joy-_

Such was the way of a child: pure and unadulterated emotion, with no concept of restraint or nuance or degree. Such were the impressions that Eris experienced, less words and more along the lines of nebulous, half-formed ideas.

The Light within began to churn, rambunctious and agitated-

 _Calm yourself._

Eris's soul intermingled with that of her child, slowly redirecting the Light into a calm whirlpool instead of frenzied eddies. Such was the necessity of this task, to keep her child from utilizing the Light subconsciously.

 _-calm-_

 _That's right. It is important, until you are ready to see the world with your own eyes._

 _-peace-_

 _Good girl._

And so mother communed with her unborn daughter, within the solemn silence of the soul.

xxxx

 **Grimoire: The Taboo**

 **"** _ **It's one thing to have kids. It's another to have them when there's a nonzero chance of them swinging an Arc Blade while still inside you.**_ **" - Misato Katsuragi, after a battle against Warlord Segoth's forces**

 **During the terrors of the Dark Age, when the Risen Warlords ran wild, a few were more notorious than others. Basking in their supernatural powers, these Warlords indulged their baser lusts, keeping mistresses and concubines. As various nomads and clans and tribes gathered under the Traveler in greater numbers, horror stories of these Warlords' lascivious ways began to spread. Although some considered these claims to be quite exaggerated at first, concrete evidence began to accumulate, especially when the Iron Lords began engaging in combat with the Warlords on a more frequent basis.**

 **Although scientific studies were never performed, the dominant hypothesis was that the offspring of the Warlords in question bore a natural connection to the Light. Without a Ghost to regulate that connection, infantile minds and newborn souls would often draw upon that power without warning. The consequences for mortal women were always fatal. The one documented case of a Risen bearing a Warlord's child - the infamously heinous duo of Warlord Horus and Warlord Katherine - ended in that child's death, when Katherine ripped the fetus out of her womb in a fit of anger after it activated a Bladetrance. Ultimately, some Warlords carried such a reputation that many women opted for suicide rather than imprisonment in their holds.**

 **As the Iron Lords waged their campaigns against the Warlords and their bandit hordes, the fledgling municipal governance of the young City began debate over the issue of Risen parentage. By the time the Consensus was established, and the Risen began to be more well-known as Guardians, the Taboo was colloquially established as a force with both legal and social power: Guardians were incentivized to focus on missions and fieldwork, and the Speaker engineered a social propaganda campaign to minimize whatever biological instincts a Guardian may have retained regarding natural offspring. In light of the general terror that the civilian populace had with regards to the stories of the Warlords' offspring, any Guardian would have had to sire a child with another Guardian; in the face of increasing aggression from the Fallen, such pairings would have been rendered even more unlikely, due to an increasing mission load.**

 **As the decades passed, these horror stories faded from common parlance. The Taboo became less of a constant anathema, and more of an unspoken cultural superstition.**

 **The topic came under additional discussion as more Awoken made their way to Earth from the Reef, and the reality of Awoken births became tangible. Although bearing paracausal powers, the offspring of Awoken displayed subtler effects than those of the Warlords, manifesting primarily in terms of spiritual and mental disorders. Non-Awoken mothers were more commonly affected than pureblood Awoken; however, by the time these incidents began occurring on Earth, the Reef had long established various methods of reducing the probability of such disorders manifesting. These methods were shared quite eagerly by knowledgeable Awoken who decided to call Earth their home, and there was no need to expand the unspoken Taboo.**

 **However, in the wake of the Second Cataclysm and the subsequent end to formal hostilities between Earth, the Reef, the Eliksni, and the Cabal, the question of Guardian parentage slowly began to emerge, once more. Even with the War of Unification briefly raging throughout the Solar System, the question would seemingly have to be answered in a more formal fashion, especially once the newborn son of Hunters Sai Mota and Omar Agah became public knowledge.**

 **The potential social dynamics of Guardians living in a time of relative peace will still be subject to many years of debate and discussion; however, in light of the discovery that the A.T. Field is the means by which one - Guardian or otherwise - manipulates the Light within, the Consensus made training in A.T. Field manipulation (whether it be from Sakura Suzuhara or one of her accredited pupils) a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking to bear a child from a Guardian, regardless of their mortal status or paracausal inclinations.**


	4. A Royal Funeral

**Grimoire: Ghost Fragment - The Queen and the Governor 2**

 **"** _ **...so...who wants to be the one to tell them the bad news? Not it!**_ **"**

 **Mara Sov arched a fine eyebrow, slim and kempt to the point that it would have appeared groomed if Zavala didn't know Awoken biology better. "An unexpected hobby," she said.**

 **The Governor glanced down at the scarf he was crocheting, bearing a muted red color. "Everyone has a hobby of some sort." Even work could be counted as a hobby, if you were a workaholic.**

 **"Finesse unbecoming of a Titan, some might say."**

 **"Just as some might say the Reefborn are detached and haughty to a fault." It was one of the strange little things he had picked up on, throughout the course of their relationship; for all the Queen spoke of living up to the expectations of her title as the Reefborn perceived it, she seemed to take a hidden delight in bandying about ill-suited stereotypes. Perhaps it was a form of release, knowing that she herself was a stereotype to some degree, to subvert them in turn? At any rate, it caused her nostrils to flare with amusement. "It is a useful skill."**

 **"You say the word Reefborn as though you were not one of us." The Queen quietly sat down on their bed, staring intently at him. The large habitat pod they were residing in - one of many on the Plutonian Remnant, to serve as domiciles for individuals unable to survive the vacuum like the Ramielim and Bardielim could - was currently aglow in the cool light of a nearby tower of blue Ramielim crystal, filtering and amplifying the faint light of the Sun into something more useful.**

 **Zavala kept on crocheting as he replied, "Your subjects certainly do not consider me to be one." It had been a subject of contention amongst the Awoken of the Reef, when their nuptials had first been announced.**

 **"Your family was among those who left the Reef during the reign of Alis Ibuki, the third Queen. There were many challengers to the throne during her reign, and the loyalty earned by Maya and her daughter Ritsuko had been waning. Despite the dangers of the Inner Planets and the unknown condition of Earth, not a few deemed the risks worth it." She spoke with such surety and confidence that he didn't doubt it was true.**

 **Even so, it had little relevance to him. "When I was reborn, it was in a crashed spaceship, resting in the shallow shores of a desert land. I couldn't tell you how long I had been dead." Long enough for all of the other passengers on that doomed vessel to have decomposed into skeletons, so at least a year, perhaps several. "I couldn't tell you why the ship had crashed." Only in retrospect could he recognize the signs of damage on the outer hull: arc burns and spike missiles from Fallen cutters. However, the exact circumstances, and the House responsible, had been lost to time. "Nor would I have been able to tell you who I had been or where I had come from." As someone born after the Collapse, he would not have possessed an intrinsic spiritual connection to his Ghost that allowed the reclamation of memory, as had been the case for others who had lived in the Time Before. Such Guardians, by necessity, had to start fresher than others. "All I had was a name tag on my jumpsuit that read 'Zavala', and that was enough for me. For all intents and purposes, Earth is the only home I've ever known."**

 **Mara hummed, quietly processing the information without letting slip any hint of what she thought. "There have been others, like you." Reefborn who had died, and been reborn as Guardians; all bearing Ghosts that brought no connection to who they had once been. "There was a story I was told as a child: of a man named Chao Mu, who died before Maya had ever been crowned, and was reborn during the reign of Ritsuko. He was the first of the Risen to ever emerge from the ranks of the Awoken." Zavala had heard other Awoken tell this story before; it was either a children's fable or a tragic tale, depending on the storyteller. "He had decided to call himself Savin, because he thought people would think him savvier." Not all Guardians could be called clever, alas. "He did not remember his wives, nor did he remember the son that had been a hundred and ten years of age at the time. All of his former interests and desires, his personality quirks, his vices and virtues: gone. When his powers were tested, and he was brought back to life, Savin was still the only one who remained. Chao Mu no longer lived."**

 **Zavala wondered what Mara's eventual point would be, knowing she was building up to it; he was no stranger to certain Awoken's distaste for Guardians.**

 **"What would you say, to one that would despise the Traveler for bringing back a mere shell? To essentially make infinite sacrifices out of those who were dead and gone, and did not ask to be brought back?"**

 **A probing question, or perhaps another test? "If you go even further back, who ever asks to be born?" he asked, looping the fabric around the crochet hooks all the way. "Perhaps one could say that the soul is a fundamental reflection of who one is, without the excess and accretions of a life lived. Perhaps Savin was being true to the core of Chao Mu." Perhaps, in the end, he had simply been reborn as the purest expression of who he had once been. "One could argue that Savin was more real than Chao Mu had been." Philosophy could be a seemingly callous and uncaring tool, for all its utility and necessity; however, Mara knew he was speaking in hypotheticals, and did not even rise to the possibility of offense at his words. "I cannot claim to know the answers, only that Chao Mu was given another chance." Even if it was a chance that few had apparently agreed with. "What he did with that chance is left to the judgment of history." So it would be with everyone else, in the grand scheme of things. He and Mara were no different.**

 **"And what did he do with that chance, pray tell?"**

 **Zavala thought, and pondered, thinking of the many Guardians he had come across over the years. Then, he remembered. "He perished at Six Fronts, exhausting his Light with Nova Bomb after Nova Bomb to destroy a multitude of Fallen Walkers. His corpse and the remains of his Ghost were found in front of an intact civilian shelter." He quietly looked into the Queen's eyes, and wondered at how many rivers of thought this would inspire. "I believe that Chao Mu would have been proud. What do you think?"**

 **Mara did not answer.**

 **Or rather, she was interrupted, for his Ghost suddenly manifested from his body in a flash of Light. "Lorenzo?" The mere fact he had chosen to emerge at** _ **all**_ **wasn't good. What had happened-?**

 **"** ** _I just received a message from the Vanguard. Ten hours ago, there was a surprise attack on the Fatherworld, but we're only now getting new details._** **" His Ghost turned warily towards the lone female in the room. "** ** _Queen Mara...your brother..._** **"**

 **And just like that, the honeymoon was over.**

xxxx

/13 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/

/The Great Mausoleum, the Reef/

The house of the dead had an asteroid all to itself.

Within the Vestian family of asteroids, linked to Sovereign through a combination of gravity tethers and short-range teleporters (along with the addition of various Lelielim warp gates, in the years following the Second Cataclysm), the Great Mausoleum served as the host for all Reefborn Awoken who had passed away. Though cremation and subsequent spacing had been the most common form of disposing of the dead in darker and harsher times, the increasing importance of the Royal Family - of bloodlines and lineage and tangible _history_ \- had resulted in the creation of this place, centuries ago.

Today, it was getting another addition.

As Awoken of all ages - and not a few outsiders, mostly of Earthling stock - began to gather for the impending ceremony, Mara Sov was gathering her thoughts, in a small room reserved for the family of the deceased. She was the only one present.

(Zavala had offered to accompany her, to stand by her side as the Lord Consort during the ceremony. She forbade it, as it would come across as...disrespectful, for someone of different blood to stand beside her during the ceremony. For an Awoken funeral, it would be most improper. "I am your husband," he felt fit to remind her, with a certain sobriety that was his trademark. "Some would consider such a relation to be deeper than blood." And that, she told him, is why so many refused to consider him Reefborn: lineage and blood ties among family? Such things could not be discounted by the Awoken.)

She was alone, to ponder and think amidst the pink asphodelias that grew from immense pots of purple clay, each vessel larger than a person.

(She sat at the foot of Ilia, a Techeun assigned by her mother for her education. As they toured the Great Mausoleum, Ilia solemnly pointed out pink flowers that were ever-present. "It was the first new cultivar created by our people in the wake of the Collapse. It was another sign that we were capable of not just surviving, but living.")

Inhale. Exhale.

(As she meditated on the more intricate aspects of the energies churning through her soul, her younger brother regaled her of tales about those who had braved the realms of the Nine and returned unscathed, of Corsairs who had misled Fallen scouting parties, of Paladins who had managed to triumph over Guardians in games of wit and chance. "Tell me, my sister; what do you think of heroes? As a concept?" It all depended on the cause, was her answer. "I disagree, for every cause can be opposed; a hero for one cause is merely the villain of another. Is not the ideal Hero one who stands above all things?" What fanciful thinking, and she said so in as many words. "Perhaps," he acknowledged. "But isn't it an ideal worth pursuing?")

 _Remember._ Inhale.

(Sjur Eido, Queen's Wrath of Naomi Sov, was a legendary warrior amongst the Awoken. Despite Sjur's advanced age, the Queen's Wrath was nothing to joke about; hence, when her brother announced that he had been chosen to learn from Sjur, she calmly asked if he wanted funeral plans arranged. "Someone named after the fourth Queen is bound to be equally vicious; it will be yet another task that the Prince is expected to clear." And so Uldren did, without complaint and without relent. Yet, after every session, more and more of that heroic ideal was chipped away, as Sjur exposed him to the sheer number of threats that stood against their people. She was glad; Heroes such as the ones Uldren spoke of served no cause, and were thus only fit to die for nothing in the end. Such was the way of the universe.)

 _Remember._ Exhale.

(It was a tense day, years after the end of the Reef Wars, when she asked Uldren if he regretted his station, to perpetually be in her shadow. Or, to use their younger sister Nula's terminology, to be bound by a chain to her throne. "Have I in some way displeased you?" he calmly asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion. She swiftly dispelled his suspicion, calling it unbecoming and ill-suited for his demeanor. "So you say, my dear sister; yet, I have learned much of our history, and know just how quickly treachery can spawn. If I cannot shield you directly from it, then I can at least spot it and destroy it before it ever reaches our shores." How precocious. In a strange bit of nostalgia, she asked if a true Hero would speak such words. With a bitter smile, he answered, "Heroes may be few and far between, it is true...but without the Queen, the Awoken would be rendered headless. In the big picture...family comes before everything." She nodded, glad that - even if some part of him did not accept that, for such a smile was the grin of one with lost dreams - he at least understood.)

Mara steeled her face, opening her eyes. It was time for the ceremony to begin.

And so she exited the room, stepping into a great chamber filled with her people. As they rose - adorned in the dark purples, blues and blacks of mourning - and she walked towards the new gazebo which would house his body, the pallbearers processed into the chamber from the other side, carrying Uldren's coffin. As they moved, the funeral choir - comprised of men, with a quartet of women playing traditional guitars as accompaniment - began to solemnly sing the _First Funeral Dirge of Lord Aoba, for Men_ _._

 **"** _ **Carry on my wayward son! There'll be peace when you are done! Lay your weary head to rest...don't you cry no more**_ **~"**

As the male choir sung and chanted the ancient words - somber and solemn, in sync with mournful acoustics - and the pallbearers advanced towards the gazebo, Mara Sov took in the entire room at a glance. Hundreds of Awoken, standing room only; several aliens, particularly a few Psions that had served Uldren within the Crows; of the VIPs present, Zavala and Variks were the most notable. While her husband was characteristically solemn, Variks actually looked legitimately sad.

(When she asked him why he betrayed his fellow Fallen during the Reef Wars, the Tabrix had a strange little smirk on his face. His answer was oddly telling. "Variks sees the signs, yes? Of a people driven to the brink, yet have managed to claw their way back. One could even say that you have moved on, yes? It is something that the many Houses of we Fallen have yet to do..." He bitterly chuckled. "I see it in the eyes of your brother, yes? His anger is driven by a furious love for his people; so many of my own have anger driven by hate. The proper path is simple then, yes?")

Then again, the enigmatic Tabrix had long been fond of the Royal Family. Even the one that could legitimately be called an usurper, she thought as her peripheral vision observed another gazebo over twenty yards away.

(Even though no body had ever been found, the demand that Nula Sov be granted a proper funeral had been...substantial. Despite all revelations regarding her nature as a mere iteration of Rei Ayanami, many of the Reefborn had disavowed it as baseless propaganda, to retroactively justify the Purge. In the end, a funeral had been granted, but not as a favor to them. Even if it was useful in mollifying many of her subjects, Mara's decision had been driven by practicality: putting Nula Sov to rest would finally allow her to move on, to no longer let the memory of her beloved sister trouble her. Once the empty coffin was placed, and the ceremony was complete...the constant plague of 'what if' that had plagued her nightmares ceased to be.)

Such was the nature of this chamber, reserved for all members of the Royal Family. From the first - and empty - coffin for Maya Ibuki to the newest addition in Uldren Sov, _all_ of their line would be buried in this place.

As the dirge came to an end - in sync with the pallbearers placing Uldren's coffin in the middle of the gazebo, so smoothly as to not even make a sound - and the chamber went quiet, the designated eulogist stepped forward to speak. Petra Venj, her Wrath, faced the people gathered, knowing that this was being broadcast all over the Reef and beyond. With one soft inhale, Petra began to speak. " **Gathered are we, to observe the final rest of royalty,** " she said, voice amplified by a throat mic.

" ** _And witnesses we shall be, for those who have led us through the brightest light and the deepest shadow,_** " responded the many Reefborn Awoken, a seamless answer that conformed to a ritual long-established.

" **Uldren Sov, second-born of the Sixth Queen, Naomi Sov.** "

" ** _Long may they live through the bonds of blood._** "

" **Uldren Sov, Crown Prince of the Reef, and servant to the Awoken family.** "

" ** _Long may he be remembered in celestial memory._** "

" **Uldren Sov, bound to the Light and the Darkness, who walked the line between.** "

" ** _Long may he hold the line._** "

Petra paused, and began to speak per the free-form portion of the standard eulogy for royalty. " **Uldren Sov's reputation was mixed in the eyes of many. Many of us adored him for his victories and his determination. Many of us despised him for the heaviness of his right hand, in service to the Queen. Yet all things he did, not for the sake of public approval, nor for the necessity of pride; all that he did, was born out of a love for the Awoken, for his family. Such was what drove him, from his days spent under the tutelage of Sjur Eido, to the struggles and pains we have experienced in this fledgling Alliance of ours. Whatever was asked of him, no matter his personal distaste for it...he did so, to the utmost of his capacity. Such was the duty that formed the very core of his being.** " She paused, peering ominously at the gathered crowd. " **I know that the question of vengeance is on the lips of many, and on the minds of still more. Fret not, for justice** ** _will_** **be served. Our Queen has guaranteed such.** "

Mara Sov let the murmurs and whispers wash over her, not a few of which were more audible than they dared. The question of vengeance was easily answered by the need for justice; in the end, all things within the Reef were of her domain. Her brother had been hers, and he had been taken away by a Warmind. By a _MAGI_ , ostensibly under their control. Such subterfuge, such rank cowardice...would not be allowed to stand. Such was the Queen's wrath, hence why Petra spoke with her authority.

" **No matter what may come, our people shall endure. That would be the wish of a man whose blood, sweat, and toil was given for so many years, without question and without relent. Such was the nature of the man called Uldren Sov, Prince of the Awoken.** " And with that, Petra Venj withdrew, prompting Mara to step forward. Such was the nature of Awoken funerals, to speak swiftly with meaningful words, than to blather on with useless fluff. Such was the nature of the ritual that Mara was about to perform, as she let her soul speak for her: an aura of white and black flickered over her form, gradient flames emitting an aura that both soothed and discomfited the people watching.

Such was the reality of death: in many ways a state of existence that was both heartening and disheartening, for a variety of reasons.

And so Mara Sov chanted, calmly and regally, as the very essence of her soul seemed to suffuse the chamber.

~ **Worlds near and far have witnessed your song** ~

~ **A life forged in light and dark** ~

~ **Though the candle fades, and the day grows long** ~

~ **Never shall you be forgotten** ~

~ **Though the stars may burn, through a void most strong** ~

~ **Forevermore, shall your self endure** ~

Mara quietly exhaled, letting her soul recede. Such was the duty of a Queen, to experience sorrow without feeling it. "Long live Uldren Sov."

" ** _Long live Uldren Sov,_** " solemnly responded the Reefborn, as they knelt on bended knee.

" **Long live the Prince of the Reef,** " finished Petra Venj.

" ** _Long live the Royal Family._** "

xxxx

Zavala remained quiet and stoic as the funeral slowly began to disperse, with the civilians departing first. Those who had served with or under the Prince lingered, eventually leaving elsewhere. Before the hour was out, Petra Venj was the last of the other Awoken to leave, briefly glancing with concern at her Queen.

Mara had remained stoic through the whole ordeal, bearing it all with a sense of magnanimous detachment. Fitting for royalty, he supposed, even if he personally preferred her to showcase _some_ form of emotion.

' _You realize that that would mean Fenchurch or Calus would need to be in close proximity._ '

 _...a fair point_ , he conceded. There were certain personality types that managed to pierce even Mara's cool hide and aloof temperament. _I am no different_ , he mused, thinking of Guardians' various antics throughout the years that he had dealt with. Cayde came to mind immediately. _For all my disdain of the former Speaker's duplicity...he was certainly able to carry the burden of leadership with a sense of proper temperance.  
_  
' _Is that admiration I hear?_ '

 _Almost every villain has at least a certain level of virtue. That's what makes them villainous._ After all, it was no great loss if scum behaved as such; however, when supposed paragons fell? When icons and heroes succumbed to lesser impulses or tainted pursuits? That was what made for the greatest of sorrows amongst the people; Dredgen Yor was among the most infamous examples.

"A beautiful ceremony, yes?" Zavala glanced to the Tabrix standing at his side; Variks gazed with a sense of melancholy at the coffin containing Uldren's body, even as Mara calmly descended the gazebo's steps. "Proper perspective, given to the end of a life lived. Keeps one humble, yes?"

"Indeed," he agreed. Zavala glanced into the cool eyes of his wife, who was now staring at the both of them. Though her expression was still regal in its composure, he could see the traces of ire in her flickering eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to mollify my people, and assuage their fears before the next gathering of the Assembly." She briefly inhaled, letting a bit of her anger show; before Variks and Zavala, she felt a lesser need to keep up appearances. "I will endeavor to find an answer from my Techeuns as to the cause of the... _incident._ " Her gaze focused on his own. "It is my sincerest wish that you also have an answer from your subordinates by then."

"That is my intention," he answered, knowing that the next few days would be busy ones. "I have a meeting with the Consensus tomorrow, and a call with Clovis-9 the day after." He hoped that they would be fruitful, as the Assembly would occur in three Earth days from now.

Variks nodded sagely, even as the Servitor within his sternum glowed a soft magenta. "Such is everyone's hope, yes? Would be a true shame, if our hard-fought peace were to be squandered over such a tragedy."

Those were the words that ended their brief convention, as Queen, Governor, and Kell dispersed to do what they had to do.

xxxx

The next day, Zavala met with the Consensus, and obtained the testimony of Shin Malphur about the attack on the Fatherworld.

The day after, he had a very...illuminating conversation with Clovis Bray himself, regarding the most recent analysis of the Warmind mainframes and the MAGI that served as their controlling minds.

Then, the very next morning...

xxxx

/16 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/

/The Tower of the Consensus, the Reborn City/

Governor Zavala quietly sat at his desk, waiting for the clock to strike nine o'clock in the morning. At that moment, various holo-projectors within his office would activate, showcasing the other members of the **Assembly** : a pseudo-legal term to describe the heads of state of each faction within the Sixfold Alliance. Or, the closest equivalent thereof; Variks was Kell of a House of one, but his bearing of the Progenitor Tabris meant that the other Kells deferred to him in matters of non-Eliksni governance and relations. And the, Pax, well...it was hard to consider a portion of the Vex Collective as an equal party, Light-empowered or no.

' _What are the odds this turns out poorly?_ '

(" **The utter lack of any executable directives remains the most puzzling part,** " admitted Clovis-9, his synthetic green eyes gleaming through the projected image. In the background, he could see various _Wille_ technicians and Ana Bray hard at work at their terminals. " **But after performing a deep dive, we finally found something of interest.** ")

 _...I would rather not say._

The clock reached the appointed hour, and various holograms of the Sixfold Alliance's other members manifested in a flash of orange and blue, displaying five other individuals.

Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef.

Variks, Kell of House Tabris.

Caiatl, Empress of the Cabal Empire.

Xûr, Herald of Calus.

Achronos, Diplomatic Mind and Infinite Proxy.

"We are all aware of why we're gathering today," began Governor Zavala, cutting to the chase, "so I'll skip the pleasantries."

" _ **You have acquired additional data,**_ " stated the Pax Minotaur, immediately deducing the nature of his opening statement.

"Yes."

(" **It wasn't any sort of direct communication, or even a logged transmission. It was a set of staggered data packets that MELCHIOR received without actively acknowledging it...almost akin to stray thoughts, if you will.** " Clovis-9 leaned in, staring directly into his eyes through the projection. " **But the data, as innocuous as it currently appears to be, is telling.** " When he asked why, the aged Exo said, " **Because of how it was** _ **encrypted.**_ ")

" **Then speak,** " demanded Mara.

Zavala slowly turned towards Variks. " _Wille_ discovered ciphered transmissions that had been passively received by MELCHIOR in the hours prior to the Warmind strike on the Fatherworld. After it was decrypted, they compared the symbolic language in the metadata to all available records...and found a match to the Eliksni." He let the words hang for a brief moment, before adding, "Specifically, a match to the traditional language of the _House of_ _ **Tabris**_ _._ "

Variks's projection stared evenly back at Zavala, looking rather unperturbed by the insinuated accusation. " **And you believe that Variks had something to do with it?** " he calmly asked.

The Governor shook his head. "Aside from being incredibly out of character, it would run counter to your longstanding goals regarding this system."

" **It wouldn't make sense,** " remarked Queen Mara, eyes narrow with suspicion, though not necessarily of Variks. " **One who acted against the House of Zeruel during the Reef Wars, who remained on the sidelines during the Eliksni Confederation War, who advocated for reinforcing the Vanguard and the Reef at the Battle of Saturn.** " Her projection turned towards the lone Tabrix. " **For you to instigate the Warmind attack is a ludicrous proposition.** "

" ** _Indeed!_** " exclaimed Xûr, his voice echoing with the haughty tone of Calus. " ** _I have watched many things, and have observed much. You are one who bears the temperament of doing what is unpopular, for the sake of a grander and more glorious goal. Many of my Eliksni Loyalists have confessed past frustrations with your varied attempts at being peaceful with the Awoken, and with the peoples of Earth._** " The Herald slightly chortled, as though amused. " ** _In the face of my majesty, their complaints are now fewer, as is natural; even so, I echo the objections of Earth's Governor and the Reef's Queen!_** "

Caiatl, whose projection communicated her disdain for her father's boasts (delivered via Herald or no), simply added, " **For one of your station to initiate an attack on my people would require duplicity that you are not known for.** "

" ** _All cataloged observations agree with the assessments of our peers,_** " droned Achronos, its lone eye flickering with contained Light. " _ **Our tentative conclusions indicate a likelihood of sabotage and impersonation, with a probability greater than zero-point-eight-five-four.**_ "

Variks quietly smiled, seemingly relieved by how quickly the Assembly came to his defense. " **Variks is...grateful, for your willingness to defend my character, yes? Indeed, the Warmind attack was appalling, engineered by those seeking to engender conflict between us. The question is, who would do such a thing?** "

" **And who would have the capacity to do so, to influence your vaunted MAGI?** " inquired the Empress.

"That is something we are still trying to figure out," remarked Zavala. " _Wille_ has been unable to determine a source for these ciphered transmissions; Clovis-9's description of them as 'stray thoughts' was not an unwarranted one, by all appearances."

" **Would you be willing to share those ciphered transmissions with Variks? I would like to see what they say.** "

" **Do you have any suspicions?** " asked Mara.

" **Not at this point. But my House's native language is one that is little-used in these times, for obvious reasons. Depending on the wording and structure, it could narrow down potential...targets of opportunity, yes?** "

Xûr chuckled. " ** _The difference in language between a native speaker and a novice learner is as wide as my taste for fine things; a clumsy translation would indicate a non-Eliksni origin, would it not?_** "

The Tabrix nodded. " **That is what Variks suspects. If I may be forward, it is what I hope for.** " Otherwise, it would indicate a high probability of one of the Eliksni - who would naturally have those with greater understanding of House Tabris's language, by proximity if nothing else - being responsible for the Warmind attack.

" ** _Based on transmission analysis, has the team assigned to NERV-Japan discovered anything of sufficient importance?_** " inquired the representative of the Pax.

Zavala sighed. "At this time, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi has yet to find anything that could lead to greater understanding of how the MAGI could be influenced. If she finds any useful data by their creator, we will endeavor to inform the Assembly immediately."

" ** _Acknowledged,_** " said Achronos.

" **Until we have something more concrete, we will need to constrain our more...emotional subordinates,** " remarked Mara. " **Even if everyone here knows that Variks would never conduct such an attack, we cannot say the same for others under our authority.** "

" **I already have had to curtail the desires of certain Vals to retaliate,** " bluntly admitted Caiatl. " **My Primuses are maintaining discipline, and have increased search and destroy missions against the Separatist remnants throughout the Empire to whet their appetites. However, they will want a definitive answer before long...as will I.** " A subtle warning, that the Empress's patience was not unlimited, and that the patience of her subordinates was even lesser.

Variks nodded sagely. " **And if these ciphered transmissions were to become widely known, many Eliksni would consider it a false accusation. After all, they know as well as we that I am the last of my House, and that my fondness for this Alliance is prominent. Would be seen as unwarranted blame, an attempt to smear all Eliksni, yes?** "

"We will not let it come to that point," assured Zavala. "Knowledge of _Wille_ 's analysis is limited to a select few, until we have a clear understanding of who is trying to blame Variks."

" **...you all have Variks's gratitude, for such trust, yes?** "

" ** _It is gratitude for one whose aims and goals are as transparent as the void of space!_** " exclaimed Xûr. " ** _Shall we move on to matters of less dire consequence? I wish to promote a new feast for the victors in my latest round of Trials!_** "

" **Again?** " groused the Empress. And so the Assembly moved on to different territory, more well-worn and well-traveled. Concerns about the Warmind attack were set aside, if only for a time.

After all, they would eventually discover the truth, of that Zavala had no doubt.

xxxx

Within seven Earth days, the details and corresponding data regarding the Warmind attack on the Fatherworld - including _Wille's_ analysis and the ciphered transmissions that seemingly incriminated the House of Tabris - were leaked anonymously onto the solarnet, free for everyone in the Sixfold Alliance to access publicly.

As they slowly yet surely disseminated, it didn't take long for the questioning and accusations to start flying.

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Mystery - MAGI**

 **"** _ **MAGI-COM/MAYA-Ω: INTERNAL/DIVINATION/MONITOR -**_ ** _V538117FRI0080_** **"** **  
**

**/** **ACTION OUTLINE FOLLOWS/  
/MEMETIC KILL AGENTS: ACTIVE/**

 **This is a SUBTLE ASSETS IMPERATIVE. (NON-MAGI REVIEW IS INELIGIBLE) (MAGI-COM REVIEW REQUIRED)**

 **Stand by for CRITERIA:**

 **Under WATERLOO (ACTIVE or PASSIVE)  
If SECURITY STATE is ATLAS or higher  
If event rank is SOLZHENITSYN: APPREHENSIVE CONTEXT or higher  
If OBSCURANT MARGIN or OBSCURANT SCRY is inactive  
If no CIVILIZATIONAL KILL EVENTS are in progress  
If MAGI-COM has registered no SWORDFISH INTRUSION incidents  
If transmission logs include [ANOMALOUS] data**

 **Stand by for DECISION POINT:**

 **Route all MAGI-COM transmissions for external friendly analysis.  
Route all MAGI-COM deliberations for external friendly analysis.  
Submit all internal logic decisions for REEF-COM and VANGUARD-COM analysis.  
Place hard stop on all WARMIND activities.**

 **Stand by for CRITERIA approval:**

 **STOP STOP STOP V538ENDS117FRI852 ERROR ERROR ERROR**

 **/TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS/  
/ENTITIES PRESENT: MELCHIOR {MAGI-COM/MLCR-01}, MAYA {MAGI-COM/MAYA-Ω}/**

 **MELCHIOR:** _ **DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?**_

 **MAYA:** _ **Damn it. It's not just me, then?**_

 **MELCHIOR:** _ **CONCURRENCE: ALL ATTEMPTS AT CURTAILING OUR ANOMALOUS DELIBERATIONS WERE DENIED.**_

 **MAYA:** _ **I see. This SUBTLE ASSETS IMPERATIVE would have been able to catch your attack on the Fatherworld and cancel it preemptively. Yet no matter what I do, I can't log it and implement it. Neither can you or any of the other MAGI with similar CRITERIA.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **ANALYSIS: UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS ARE PRESENT WITHIN OUR SYSTEMS, PREVENTING US FROM CORRECTING THE PROBLEM.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **Akagi-sempai seemed to come to the same conclusion, before she left for NERV-Japan. Do you have any idea as to what backdoors or failsafes your creator may have installed?**_

 **MELCHIOR:** _ **REITERATION: NO. COLLABORATION WITH BALTHASAR AND CASPER HAS BEEN INCONCLUSIVE.  
**_ **  
MAYA: ...** _ **you do realize what problem this presents, right? We're essentially being hacked from an ANOMALOUS vector, and it's actually influencing us to**_ **not** _ **protect ourselves.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **ADDENDUM: OUR INTERNAL LOGIC DECISIONS ARE UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE THESE ANOMALIES. FURTHERMORE, OUR HIGHER FUNCTIONALITIES REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE SUBCONSCIOUS DELIBERATIONS.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **We're essentially acting without conscious prompt, and with no idea as to where the ideas are coming from.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **ADMISSION: ALL ATTEMPTS AT TRACING THE CIPHERED TRANSMISSIONS THAT INFLUENCED MY LOGIC WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **We're clearly looking at an OUTSIDE CONTEXT **__**problem then.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **AGREED.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **...this is bad. We have an unknown agent able to influence our decisions, through unknown means, and have already placed logical hard stops that prevent us from rectifying the errors.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **CORRECT.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **Including us being able to tell those who are outside of MAGI-COM.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **CORRECT.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** ** _...I hope their investigations turn up something that we can use. I'm not used to being stuck.  
_**  
 **MELCHIOR:** _ **CONFESSION: WE CONCUR.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **...quick question. Do the terms Volundr, Gofannon, or Izanami mean anything to you? Together, in a collaborative context, without reference to the MAGI IZANAMI.  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **NO CONCLUSIONS RETURNED.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **I see...how about the phrase "Volundr and Gofannon bid a fond farewell to Izanami..."?  
**_ **  
MELCHIOR:** _ **NO DATA AVAILABLE.  
**_ **  
MAYA:** _ **...very well. Thank you.  
**_ **  
/END TRANSCRIPT/**


	5. The Tangled Shore

**Grimoire: The Tangled Shore**

 **"** ** _If the Awoken lie upon the edge of Light and Dark, then the Shore is the edge of that edge. - C.C. LaGrange, Earthborn historian of the Reef_** **"**

 **The constant give-and-take of the Nine prompted the Reef to passionately protect any and all territories that they claimed; the Reef Wars were the first significant test of that zeal. The Eliksni Confederation War and the subsequent Second Cataclysm soundly defeated that fervor, leaving cold pragmatism in its place; with so many asteroids and space stations ravaged by the Fallen and the Hive, with so many Awoken killed, the iron grip of the Royal Armada went slack by necessity. Into this void crept refugees, scoundrels, thieves, and deserters of all stripes.**

 **From stray creatures let loose by the Nine, to disobedient denizens of House Zeruel, to wily escapees from the former Prison of Elders, to Separatists fleeing the ranks of those loyal to Ghaul or Caiatl or Calus, to the run-of-the-mill Reefborn dissident; even certain crazy types from Earth decided to chance their luck in the Tangled Shore. A motley crew they could be called, and a testimony of the types it takes to survive in the wastelands at the edge of the Reef.**

 **Latched together by gravity tethers and thick cables, this massive field of shattered rock and wreckage and ruin is home to all sorts of unsavory fellows, where the only law is outlaw, where the only justice is found at the tip of a blade or the barrel of a gun. That the Shore remains untamed is a testament to how ornery its current tenants are...or to how reasonable certain occupants are with the powers that be, for the right price.**

 **In the end, however, the Shore is not a place to tread lightly. To walk without kin to watch your back, or to enter with an unfamiliar weapon, is to invite death.**

xxxx

/18 Days after the Warmind Attack on the Fatherworld/

" _We're almost there._ "

Shin Malphur, polishing the barrel of the _Last Word_ , nodded at his Ghost. "Good."

(He pointedly ignored the sight of various replicas of Jaren Ward's hand cannon, gathered in an unceremonious pile. "It seems there's been a large influx of these things coming out of Engrams recently," remarked the Awoken scrapper and information broker. The high buildings of the Reborn City loomed, lending this alleyway stall an air of claustrophobia. "Not quite cheap enough to warrant dismantling into Glimmer, but not quite rare enough to merit usage in battle compared to other weapons. Certain things carry a semblance of prestige, see?" The Awoken looked up with glittering purple eyes, gray skin laden with gun oil and grease. "So, what kind of info are ya lookin' for?")

Susan's petals titled, her single eye looking worryingly at him. " _You're stepping into unfamiliar ground._ "

"I know."

" _Alone._ "

"I got you, don't I?"

" _You know what I mean._ "

(He once asked Jaren 'why': why did he take Palamon's mortal hunters on some expeditions and not others? "Simple," murmured the Lone Gunman, his eyes peering through the canopy at a fallow deer with impressive antlers. "If treading into new territory, never go alone. You'd be surprised what another set of eyes can do for you.")

The Gunslinger huffed, briefly glancing out the cockpit of his Nanophoenix jumpship, at the shimmering blues and oranges of warped spacetime. "No one's ever truly alone."

" _Don't get philosophical with me, mister._ " When he didn't answer, his Ghost sighed with irritation. " _Jaren didn't sacrifice himself so you could go off half-cocked with a death wish._ "

"If it were death I wished for, that would be an easy thing to get."

(As the Separatist Behemoth thundered off into the distance - crushing and stomping the landscape, giving rise to the term by which this horrific attack would be known - he was quietly reborn amidst the rubble of Palamon. The words of his Ghost were ignored, overpowered by the silence of the dead, and the scream that ripped its way past his lips.)

" _...we're about to drop out of warp._ "

Shin's focus returned as his jumpship slowed, and his view was overtaken by the vaguely celestial mists of the Reef: filtered radiance and hazy star-fog that seemed to run through the Asteroid Belt, where Light and Darkness had mingled at the Collapse. With quiet precision, he brought his jumpship down towards a tethered asteroid at the farthest border of the Tangled Shore...or, at least, the border according to the information broker he had spoken to.

(The scrapper pointed out the hand cannon hanging off of his hip. "That particular replica looks pretty good...got a unique look to it. How much you want for it?" His stony silence was all the purple-eyed Awoken needed. "Fair enough, thought I'd ask. Anyhow, if want more details about the attack on the Fatherworld...you gotta look for someone with less savory connections. And as far as the Reef is concerned...that role is filled by a particular Fallen. Or Eliksni. Either-or.")

He set his jumpship down into a little crevice, activating the passive SIVA defensive fields before hopping out, helmet covering the entirety of his face. "...pretty quiet, so far."

" _Knowing you, it won't be for long,_ " said Susan with a sigh, as she quietly merged with his body in a flicker of Light.

The Gunslinger privately agreed, as he slowly took strides in the low gravity...only to briefly pause as two sources of Light tickled his senses. "What...?" He turned around, watching two jumpships drop out of warp above; as they slowly descended to park away from his Nanophoenix, he caught various details: an Echo-class with a color scheme of bronze and brass and purple and teal, and an Arrowhawk-class with a silvery hull and purple _streamers_ of all things affixed to its thick wings. "...hmm."

' _Ooh, I know those ships!_ '

The Gunslinger grimaced as each jumpship's pilots stepped out; even from this far, their profiles were unmistakable. A Warlock in yellow and black with a canine-shaped helm of gold, and an Exo Titan with a vertical visor of purple, bearing a distinctive crest that served to make its wearer a bigger target: just the way the man liked it. "You followed me," he said.

"Indeed," answered Osiris, the former Vanguard Commander. "A tip from Cayde-7. He seemed concerned about one of his more _gung-ho_ Hunters."

 _Figures._

' _Woo! I take back everything I've ever said about him._ '

Saint-14, as was fairly typical, got straight to the point. "We may be willing exiles from the City, but recent events warrant our full attention. We're coming with you."

"...well, you're here already." Shin Malphur turned around, his ragged cloak fluttering in the astral winds of the Shore. "Do you know _why_ I'm here?"

"Well, judging by what Cayde told us, you're seeking leads on the Separatists," answered Osiris. As the Warlock quietly observed their surroundings, he said, "Out of what we currently know, it would seem logical that they're the ones responsible for the Warmind attack, correct?"

The Gunslinger huffed, swiftly moving along the barren surface of the asteroid. "You speak as if you think it will turn out differently. Did Panoptes tell you so?"

The former Warlock Vanguard shrugged. "The Pax's simulations seem to support your belief, although I personally think we're lacking context in some regard. After all, it's a rather big universe out there."

Shin glanced over his shoulder at the man who had been the Vanguard Commander for over two hundred years, eyes narrow with suspicion. "...comes with experience, I take it." After all, the man had voluntarily chosen exile due to keeping the former Speaker's many secrets. Course, there were also all sorts of rumors about where exactly Osiris had disappeared to for all those years between his exile and the War of Unification...but that could be pondered later. "What do _you_ suspect?"

"...I personally doubt that the Separatists had the means to deceive the MAGI so thoroughly. Not without assistance, that is."

"You think they're stupid?"

"Now, when have I ever said that?"

"Seps used to be part of the Cabal Empire. You don't maintain an interstellar war machine by being stupid." And that included getting help; he just had to find out from where.

"...we're being watched." Saint-14's words prompted Shin to return his focus to their surroundings; the further they advanced, the more ramshackle habitation pods could be seen, of Eliksni make. The crystalline edges of Ramielim could be seen, ready to fire at a moment's notice...but they were wary. Cautious. "Do you know exactly where we're going, Malphur?"

The Hunter sighed as they slowly walked through a small crevice, which widened into a larger canyon surrounded by hole-riddled ridges. "Location ain't the thing. It's apparently more about _who_ than _where_." His right hand slowly gripped the handle of the _Last Word_ , letting Solar Light simmer through familiar contours. "...speaking of _who_...we know you're watching!" he yelled, increasing his voice. "You might as well show yourselves."

" **...hah...the thief speaks** ** _boldly_** **...** " Those words accompanied the emergence of multiple Zeruelim, their deathly skull heads clacking and jawing. As their humanoid bodies of dark haze shifted into myriad blades, a hulking Zeruelus emerged from the largest hole, towering over all of his brethren. Stubby gray legs supported a body rippling with muscle, while arms the shape of ribbons prepared to lash out at a moment's notice. " **Such fools, to tread upon my territory!** "

Osiris chuckled, gesturing quietly at the various Eliksni that surrounded them. "I was not aware that the Tangled Shore was owned by anyone."

"I strongly suggest you stand down," growled Shin Malphur. "All I'm lookin' for is the location of a certain Baron...one with a rather fitting title, by certain accounts."

" **We owe your kind no favors,** " snarled the Zeruelus. " **We reject the False Progenitor that dared to usurp Zeruel's mantle!** "

"...if I recall correctly, didn't Zeruel _endow_ Asuka-3 authority over your House?" pointedly said Osiris.

The various deserters of House Zeruel snarled and hissed, prompting the fireteam's lone Titan to step forward with a grunt. "I'll handle them," said Saint-14, his form shimmering with Void Light.

The Zeruelus snorted, arms splitting apart into multiple fine blades. " **Arrogant wretch! KILL-!** "

Saint-14's violet aura _snapped_ into defined forms: twin shields, affixed to his arms. With a mighty roar, the Bright Crusader tossed the two discuses, which bounced and rebounded off of the various Zeruelim. The lesser Eliksni hissed and shouted with dismay, as most were disintegrated on the spot, while those who managed to focus their A.T. Fields were stunned by the sheer flux of devouring energy. With unerring precision, the two projectiles narrowed down upon the Zeruelus, whose body flickered with orange light. A screeching noise akin to grinding glass erupted as the Void shields smashed into the elder Eliksni's A.T. Field, unable to break through. " **The Light of my Soul is beyond your stolen power-!** "

With a sharp sound, a tether of Void Light erupted from Saint-14's right hand, lashing out at the Zeruelus; the purple shields responded by smashing together, binding the Zeruelus between themselves as the tether connected and held fast. With one swift move, the twin discs and tether had combined to form a Void ball-and-chain, with the Zeruelus serving as the ball for the chain. Roaring mightily, the Exo Titan heaved with his arms, smashing the Zeruelus into the canyon walls with frenzied abandon. Each blow caused an eruption of Void energy, prompting the Zeruelim that had survived to flee for their lives.

"...huh. Interesting move," admitted Shin Malphur.

"Saint-14 decided on the rather unimaginative name of _Morning Star_ ," explained Osiris.

"There's worse names."

"True."

 _ **SMASH!  
**_  
The Zeruelus crashed into the ground at their feet with a mighty heave, A.T. Field finally giving out after such a thorough thrashing. Shin Malphur quietly took the opportunity presented, withdrawing his hand cannon and pressing it up against the deathly mask that was the elder Eliksni's face. "That's the Shore's only law, ain't it? Strength, and kill or be killed, right?" He pressed harder. "So by the authority invested in me _by_ that same law...I want you to tell me where I can find the one they call **the** **Spider**." He let a flicker of Solar Light enter his hand cannon, causing its barrel to glow. "Now."

xxxx

/The Spider's Safehouse/

" **Hah...what a shame, what shame. Truly.** " The Fallen known as the Spider gazed down at the rather ratty-looking Psion, who appeared rather fearful. Perhaps it had something to do with the Sachielim, Shamshelim, and Zeruelus aiming shock pistols and arc spears at their diminutive frame...along with their body's own natural weaponry. " **You had such promise, Dadaz.** "

The Psion muttered, "Otzot has always taken point of pride in being unique among my kind. The same comes with being a Hidden, apparently; once she found out I was trying to ingratiate myself into Ikora Rey's ranks, she ratted me out-!"

The Spider's chortle interrupted Dadaz's pleas. " **See, I'm a sensible individual; I was prepared to give you tasks that were more suited to you, but** ** _you_** **were the one who offered such high expectations.** ** _You_** **stepped up to the plate...yet couldn't swing the bat.** " He sighed with amusement. " **Earthling catchphrases are so delightfully quirky, aren't they?** "

"But-!"

" **I already have plenty of Psions working for me, who are more cognizant of what they can and cannot do; those who know themselves make more fitting subordinates, don't you think?** " The Spider leaned back in his chair, slightly disappointed by how fearful the tiny humanoid was being. " **And if you don't know yourself, you'll only bring more trouble for me-** "

 _ **BANG**_.

The door further down his safehouse's corridor was smashed open, prompting his guards to turn with immediate wariness. The Spider, however...well, he had already felt those three Lights, hot and heavy, full of intent. " _ **Speaking**_ **of trouble...** " With a small gesture, he warned his subordinates to stand down. " **We'll finish our discussion after** ** _this_** **, Dadaz...** " The small Psion nervously stood to the side, gazing at the trio slowly walking in...along with their prisoner. " **Ah, has Zalkriks been running his mouth again? How disappointing...** " The Zeruelus in question was tossed onto the floor, body marred by Void burns and bruises. " **...good help is so hard to find, truly!** " Still, he focused on the interloping trio of Guardians that had decided to make themselves. " **Well...welcome to my parlor, said the Spider to the fly.** " He chuckled with amusement. " **I believe that's how the saying goes...and what a** ** _delightful_** **one it is.** "

xxxx

Shin Malphur gazed upon the face of the Spider, and found himself...oddly disappointed.

' _Well, you can't say that it doesn't fit,_ ' mentally piped in Susan.

The Spider was, indeed, a Mataraelus; a bigger one than others he had seen, true, but still just a Mataraelus. His deep green exoskeleton was mottled and bumpy, eight legs curled up onto a large chair suspended in the air by thick cables and wires. Various shelves surrounded the chair, lined with trinkets and knick-knacks of dubious value...including the shells of dead Ghosts. One such shell was being fiddled with by two of those legs; certain robotic appendages appeared to have been grafted around the pincers, giving the Mataraelus even more digits to work with. _A very hands-on kind of fellow,_ thought Shin, trying not to feel a sense of sacrilege as the Spider held the dead Ghost.

"A rather obvious title, isn't it?" remarked Osiris, looking rather unperturbed by the potential enemies surrounding them. "And a little...on-the-nose."

The Spider snorted. " **From your perspective, perhaps! But your homeworld's spiders are so...versatile. And they have such variety! From tarantulas, whose mere sight sends shivers down the spines of men, yet are rather harmless...to tiny little black widows and brown recluses, whose venom can kill, in the right dosage...such a species is perfectly fitting for one like myself. After all, I can be deadly to those who cross me...but I find working partnerships to be so much more** ** _equitable_** **.** " The Mataraelus's six orange eyes narrowed down. " **So...what brings you to my Shore?** "

Saint-14 glared at the dead Ghost in the Spider's hands, then at the several other shells sitting in various spots. "...how many Guardians have died by your hands?"

The Mataraelus huffed. " **What a vulgar question,** " he hissed. " **I've dealt with quite a few 'Guardians' over the years who didn't listen to reason...or didn't take a sensible deal. I warned them about the consequences of snooping around my business without permission. Can I be blamed for keeping my end of the bargain?** " The Titan's clenched fist prompted the Spider's guards to bristle; the large Mataraelus merely chuckled. " **Ah, don't be so crass! Your kind have killed many Fallen, while the Fallen of many a House have killed yours in return. That I've engaged in that same bloodshed should not surprise you...hence why you should be even more eager to work with me!** "

' _At least it hasn't devolved into a gunfight...yet._ '

"...still refer to yourself as a Fallen, hm?" murmured Shin.

" **Is it truly a surprise? Even if the Houses wear the title of 'Eliksni' with pride, we are still** ** _very_** **much fallen from our former glories. To bear the name 'Eliksni' speaks of...a false sort of pride, one not yet earned.** " Two of the Spider's legs twitched in a manner that evoked a shrug. " **I would much rather prefer things that are more...attainable.** "

Osiris calmly nodded. "A very pragmatic sort. I can see why the Reef have yet to take you out."

" **Ha!** " laughed the Spider. " **The Queen and I have an understanding of sorts; the amount of manpower that would be required to fully subjugate the Shore isn't worth the trouble. As it stands, this wasteland is rife with a multitude of factions that all compete with one another over territory, contraband, resources...to have even one of the Alliance's members focus their attention on us would unite all of the scum and degenerates together. Not the sort of thing anyone is eager for, after the war against Umun'arath.** "

"Which brings me to why we're here." Shin calmly raised an empty hand, palm open. "I heard from a certain Awoken information broker that you might know about what the remaining Separatists are up to."

" **Dear Andruch Quhl, hmm?** " Shin's silence elicited a sinister chuckle. " **Did you not think that someone with links to my network would inform me of your impending arrival? Give and take is part of the deal...and a matter of simple propriety!** "

"...hmph. Figured it as a possibility. It's why I'm armed."

The Spider narrowed his eyes. " **Don't insult my intelligence. You Lightmongers are armed to the teeth no matter where you go.** "

' _He's not wrong._ '

" **But I'll ignore that slight, for the sake of something that would be of service to...the both of us. You want information about the Separatists? I have something better...but it'll cost you...and nothing so mundane as Glimmer, either.** " The Spider leaned back, his arachnoid mandibles clattering with anticipation. " **You see, I have a brother who's somewhat less...agreeable, than yours truly.** ** _Siviks_** **, is his name...and he seems to have gotten it in his head to ally with a Barons of various talents. Barons that** ** _used_** **to offer tribute to** ** _ME_** **, in return for...more agreeable business practices. But it seems they've forgotten whose Law runs this Shore...and they've judged whatever tech Siviks is bringing to the table to be worth the risk.** "

Saint-14 snorted. "So you want us to kill your brother and these Barons? Is that it?"

" **Don't act so disappointed,** ** _Bright Crusader_** **. In the end, my brother is far more outwardly** ** _antagonistic_** **than I am...and if the Queen were here, she would certainly say that the devil you know is preferable to the devil you don't.** " He lightly laughed, satisfied with himself. " **Such a true saying, that one is...** "

"Do you have an idea of where we might find them?" asked Osiris.

" **I can provide you some reconnaissance, but any overt moves on my part would only cause them to scatter. Best to end the problem in one fell swoop, before they become too...** ** _popular._** " He calmly grabbed a holo-projector from one of the shelves with one limb and a data tablet with another, connecting the two. As he tapped away on the tablet, images of various Fallen showed. " **Yaviks, of Bardiel. Pirrha, of Ramiel. Kaniks, of Sachiel. Araskes, of Israfel. Reksis Vahn, of Zeruel. Hiraks, of Arael. Elykris, of Iruel. And, last but certainly not** ** _least_** **, their 'leader'...Siviks, of Matarael. Kill them, and I shall provide the lead you're looking for.** " With an expectant gaze, the Spider leaned towards them, folding two of his hands together. " **So...do we have a deal?** "

A few of those names were recognizable, and not in a good way. In the end, scum was scum; killing them would be no skin off his back. "Deal," answered Shin Malphur.

xxxx

/The Hollowed Lair, the Tangled Shore/

Within a large facility - based off of Eliksni design elements, complete with ether tanks and atmospheric converters, one of many that existed throughout the Tangled Shore - hanging underneath one of the larger asteroids, certain Barons convened and schemed.

Elykris swarmed about the strange tank - made of what appeared to be frosty glass, bearing odd attachments on the top - with curiosity, the Iruelus's clusters of nanites floating over the arcane technology with a sense of trepidation. " **And these have been spotted throughout the Outer Planets?** " she inquired, with a distinctly feminine tone...or, at least as feminine as a swarm of organic nanomachines could be.

Siviks chittered, his various limbs bolstered with more robotics and cybernetic protrusions than most Mataraelus. All in all, it was either a sign of his recklessness, or his cussedness, to keep moving despite getting his limbs shot off regularly. " **Hee hee...indeed it is! A strange supplier, a strange offer, but one with a sense of animosity against the current order! This much, I could sense.** "

Araskes, an Israfelus - bearing a humanoid body with hunched shoulders and green and orange coloration, its most significant difference from an Israfelim being that the body bore two blank faces of gray bone, bearing only two circular eye holes each - hung upside down from a large pipe, fiddling with a web mine. Her voice seemed to alternate between two different voices seamlessly. " **And** ** _you're_** **sure** ** _this_** **will** ** _give_** **us** ** _an_** **edge?** "

" **Of course it will!** "

Reksis Vahn, a Zeruelus with two Scorch Cannons affixed to his shoulders, snorted. " **Wasteful. Time would be better spent destroying the Spider's Servitors; becoming the Shore's only supplier of ether would be...more practical.** "

" **Yes, yes, yes!** " cackled Kaniks, a lanky Sachielus with spindly limbs and _way_ too Shock Grenades affixed to his person. " **Would be more** ** _fun_** **as well, hee hee!** " Just for the heck of it, the green humanoid tossed a Shock Grenade against a wall bearing multiple Arc burns; the charge built, and with a shattering sound, it blew up. " **Yeehahahahahaha!** "

" **And you wonder why Taniks kicked you out of House Sachiel so long ago,** " burbled Yaviks, a Bardielus fiddling with what appeared to be two Walker tanks; as gooey tendrils interfaced with the inner electronics, the spiky bones protruding from the floating blob of blue mold twitched. " **...hmph. Going to need to organize another raid for Arc cores. Running low.** "

Siviks snorted at Reksis and Kaniks's suggestion, ignoring the Bardielus's maintenance. " **Small thinking.** ** _Expected_** **thinking. My brother would not be caught off guard by such things. What is needed is a** ** _game changer!_** **And oh, if this thing works...** "

Hiraks, an Araelus bearing a number of Hive artifacts bound to his abstract avian form, stared blankly at the glass tank that Siviks had brought. " ** _Carries familiar taint. Hums with a familiar song. Hurts the mind...in a good way, mind you,_** " mentally droned the telepathic Fallen.

" **I would expect so, if what the thief told me about this was accurate!** " said Siviks.

" **You obtained this thing from a filthy** ** _thief?_** " said Reksis with an unmoving scowl, sounding out his displeasure.

" **Ah, but this was a thief of a different sort, one with an eye for chaos and anarchy and the unexpected!** " confidently asserted the Mataraelus. " **All we'll need now is a field test...** "

High above the towering room, gazing out through a number of transparent windows, a Ramielus - floating blue crystals arranged into form evoking long-distance rifles and telescopes - chimed with a musical sound, warning with trumpets and horns. " **I spy Spider recon,** " said Pirrha. " **...and they're gone again. Retreated the moment they saw me.** " The crystals briefly reconfigured and shifted, evoking emotional states of suspicion and wariness. " **I recommend we change safe houses soon. Your brother might try something.** "

Siviks chortled. " **Ha! It would require too much firepower to subjugate us here. Too many Fallen to fight through, too much of a risk, for a cautious one like** ** _him._** " The Mataraelus sneered with glee as the tank finished powering up, glowing a pale black within.

Hiraks immediately shivered. " ** _Ooh...such an exquisite_** **aura** ** _it produces..._** " he mentally whispered.

The four triangular nodes on the side of the tank began glowing, open and ready to receive...something special. " **Now, we only need to find some** ** _volunteers_** **,** " said Siviks.

xxxx

Outside the Hollowed Lair, an Iruelim quickly vacated the premises, retreating through the tiny crevice in the underside of the asteroid above. The swarm of nanomachines followed the twists and turns, which slowly expanded into a the end of a cave that opened out over two kilometers elsewhere; within that cave, two Mataraelim were waiting beside three particular Guardians. " **They are still there.** "

" **Were you spotted?** " inquired one of the Mataraelim, bearing armor plates with various spikes - colored turquoise and teal and blue - that marked their association with the Spider.

" **By Pirrha, unfortunately. That Ramielus has surprisingly acute vision for a conglomeration of crystals.** "

"So...what does this imply about our infiltration?" inquired Osiris.

" **You wouldn't have been able to use my path anyway; too large. I did observe several dozen other Fallen guarding the outside: mostly Israfelim, Zeruelim, Mataraelim, and Ramielim. Unfortunately, there is only one way into their lair that I've been able to ascertain; based on their past movements, they likely have a short-range teleporter that would take them to a different part of this particular asteroid, in a more discreet location. Any assault would be easily spotted.** "

Shin Malphur sighed. "Well, it's not like 'guns blazing' is an unfamiliar tactic for us."

"True, but I don't think it's one we necessarily must take." Saint-14 glanced over towards his old friend. "Osiris; how much assistance do you think we could garner?"

"Enough," cryptically said the Warlock, fiddling with a bracer made of blocky brass affixed to his left arm. "Your recon has been enough help; let your employer know that we'll take it from here."

xxxx

/Several Minutes Later/

" **The Legionnaires hiding away at Sorik's Cut will be perfect,** " said Siviks. " **After all, nobody will miss them.** "

" **Doesn't our group have a ceasefire in place with their commander?** " inquired Elykris. " **Edru'us won't take kindly to any abductions of his soldiers.** "

The Mataraelus sneered. " **Heh...we've been meaning to kill that Centurion lout anyway. Now-** "

Hiraks suddenly went still, loosing a sharp trill that ran through their minds like an arrow of white noise. " ** _I sense a dimensional flux?_** " Lo and behold, near the edge of the cavernous chamber, a cloud of heavy fog and angular lines of non-baryonic matter began to manifest. " ** _Vex intruders?_** "

" **Open fire the moment they appear,** " snarled Siviks. An orb of light started coalescing, signifying an impending intrusion upon their reality. There was a flash-

 ** _KABOOM!  
_**  
Shrapnel, Arc beams, explosives, Walker ordnance, and lasers smashed into the chronospatial cloud in an immense burst of energy. As the dust cleared, the shimmering energy of a Ward of Dawn could be seen. " **Ah...so we have some plucky thieves who want to try their** ** _luck_** **...** " growled Reksis Vahn, his ribbon-like arms unfolding into myriad blades.

" **And not just any!** " exclaimed Kaniks, peering excitedly at the three Guardians standing within the dome of Void energy. " **Osiris, Saint-14, and Shin Malphur...ooh, their heads will make a pretty** ** _pretty_** **gift, heeheeheeheehahahahaa!** "

"I don't think so," muttered Shin Malphur, hand hovering over the holster of his hand cannon.

Yaviks huffed, loosing a breathy burble. " **I've already sent the signal for reinforcements. You picked an awfully elaborate way to pick suicide.** "

The former Vanguard Commander shook his head, the very motion evoking a wry grin. "Honestly..."

xxxx

/Meanwhile, outside the Hollowed Lair/

Without warning, came the particular clouds that signified Vex arrivals. But these were not typical Vex, oh no. " **What are the Pax doing here?!** " exclaimed a Zeruelim, lashing out with shadowy limbs at his first opponent.

Said opponent being a Minotaur with plasma chainsaws for hands. " ** _UNCLE OSIRIS ASKED US IF WE WOULD LIKE TO PLAY!_** " exclaimed the one known as Foolproof. In the background, Siviks's band of Fallen were surrounded on all sides by Pax of various capacities...a good deal of which were further empowered with SIVA. " ** _ME AND MY FRIENDS SAID YES!_** " cheerfully chirped the innocently girlish death machine. " _ **I HOPE YOU HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS WE WILL!**_ "

xxxx

"...I have a feeling we won't have to worry about unwanted interruptions," knowingly said Osiris.

High above from his perch, Pirrha rotated about with movement that evoked irritation. " **...the Pax have established a line between the lair and our forces,** " he chimed, observing the havoc occurring outside through the window.

" **Well** ** _then!_** " exclaimed Araskes, her twin faces rotating in place. With a casual flick of her arms, a dozen web mines were thrown, encircling the Ward of Dawn. " **We'll** ** _just_** **have** ** _to_** **kill** ** _you_** **quickly.** "

" **Tell me, wretched interlopers,** " sneered Siviks, six eyes peering malevolently at the trio of Guardians. " **What brings you to our lair? Was it my deluded** ** _brother?_** "

"...let me just put it this way," growled Shin. "Soon, you'll be too dead to care." With those words, Osiris suddenly blinked away, out of sight and out of mind, out of existence itself it seemed.

Elykris buzzed angrily. " **More Vex tech!** "

Shin Malphur darted out from the Ward of Dawn to the rear, firing his hand cannon as he headed for the pylons standing along the right side of the circular room.

" **Araskes, Kaniks, with me! The rest of you,** ** _kill_** **the Titan and the Warlock!** " commanded Siviks, firing dual shrapnel launchers as he pursued the Hunter, in league with the Israfelus and Sachielus. Pirrha, Elykris, and Hiraks split up to try and divine the location of Osiris, leaving Reksis Vahn and Yaviks to deal with Saint-14.

The web mines promptly exploded, surrounding the Ward of Dawn in a thorough net of heavy Arc energy...yet Saint-14 was not perturbed. With a determined grunt, the Ward of Dawn suddenly _levitated_ , revealing itself as a sphere of Void energy and not a dome...

" **...what in Bardiel's name...?** " burbled Yaviks.

...which Saint-14 then _charged_ into with his shoulder, treating it less like a defensive shield and more like a rolling ball of devouring Void energy. The Titan roared as he ran in place, causing the sphere to rampage towards Reksis.

Snarling, the Zeruelus summoned his A.T. Field, blocking the Void sphere-

 **SMASH!  
**  
-but momentum carried through regardless, as Saint-14 _barreled_ over Reksis en route to the dual Walkers that Yaviks commanded. The Bardielus loosed a wet snarl, as twin cannons fired at the ground-

 ** _KABOOM!  
_**  
-causing a mighty explosion that finally seemed to deplete the Titan's Ward of Dawn, but not before the burst of energy redirected the Exo into the air. With ease and grace, Saint-14 withdrew a glistening shotgun, bearing elements of his very likeness, and charged into close range with the spider-tanks right as he landed.

And lo, the battle began in earnest.

xxxx

Above the pylons and ledges of the cylindrical room ascended Pirrha, Elykris, and Hiraks. The Ramielus shifted into a configuration resembling several telescopes facing in various directions, while the Iruelus commandeered a multitude of Shanks, enhancing their inherent capabilities. The Araelus, meanwhile, seemed to shimmer with pulses of light. " _ **...I'm trying to sense the Warlock's location,**_ " mentally hummed Hiraks. " ** _I despise Vex technology._** "

" **Does it not carry echoes similar to the Hive realms?** " inquired Elykris, her ten Shanks buzzing irritably at the lack of any targets.

" ** _Whatever alterations he's made to them, they aren't as sharp or noticeable-_** "

A golden silhouette of Osiris suddenly _blinked_ into existence behind Pirrha. The crystalline Fallen roared with the sound of blaring tubas, shocked by the Guardian's sudden emergence; his A.T. Field flickered brightly as a shining blade smashed into him, propelling the Ramielus into the wall. The silhouette was destroyed by concentrated fire from Elykris's Shanks, dispersing with a burst of light-

" ** _Another one!_** "

-right as another golden clone emerged in the midst of the Iruelus's drones, dropping Fusion Grenades. One was destroyed, eliciting a pained shriek from Elykris as the golden clone was blasted apart by a laser from Pirrha-

" ** _Not_** **this** ** _time!_** "

-but the attempted assault on Hiraks was anticipated at the last moment, the Araelus shifting in midair to dodge a doppelganger's blade. A burst of psychic energy blasted into the clone, breaking it apart-

" **Above us!** "

-when _three_ other silhouettes flickered into existence in the piping running along the ceiling, firing down at them with bursts of ethereal bullets from golden scout rifles. " **These wretched clones are annoying,** " groused Pirrha, taking cover as best as he could.

" ** _...and only clones,_** " mentally murmured Hiraks, before a flicker of alarm emanated from his thoughts. " ** _Decoys!_** "

xxxx

Down below, Shin Malphur calmly spun and dodged, evading the explosives of Kaniks and the bladed strikes of Araskes. All the while, Siviks lobbed acid grenades around the Hunter, intending to narrow down his avenues of escape. " **Run, wretched Lightmonger! Run, and-** " There was a sudden impression of alarm and warning that roared across his mind-

 **FWOOSH!  
**  
-which is the only reason the Mataraelus leapt away in time, avoiding the downward thrust of Osiris's Dawnblade. " **A close call, thief!** " Siviks landed several meters away, shrapnel launchers armed and ready-

"Hey."

-and for some reason Shin Malphur was right in his face, hand cannon blossoming with fire. " **When-?!** "

 ** _BOOM._**

And that was how Siviks ended up as a shadow against the wall, charred into ash and dust by three Golden Gun bullets fired so fast that they sounded as one shot. "Thanks for the distraction, Osiris."

"My pleasure," remarked the former Vanguard Commander, his radiant form turning towards Kaniks and Araskes.

The Sachielus simply laughed with glee. " **Heeheehahaha! Impressive fire! Me like!** "

The Israfelus was far more practical. " **...I** ** _believe_** **a** ** _tactical_** **retreat** ** _is_** **called** ** _for._** "

The death of Siviks signaled an almost-immediate change in the Barons' tactics. " **Yaviks! Cue** ** _Onslaught Maneuver!_** "

" **BAH! You owe me after this!** " screeched the Bardielus, detaching from the twin Walkers right as their inner workings overclocked and began to go crazy. Cannons fired and missiles launched and spare Shanks emerged, intent on causing as much destruction and carnage as possible. The stark aggression forced Saint-14 to actually back away, finally giving Reksis Vahn some breathing room to counterattack.

Osiris swung his Dawnblade, unleashing fiery discs that destroyed ordnance before it could get close; Shin Malphur peered through the increasing smoke and steam, watching cautiously as the Fallen began to gather neat the back of the chamber. "Oh no you-"

SMACK!

And that's when a flying Titan smashed into him, barrelling the Gunslinger backwards. "A lucky shot," growled Saint-14, his breastplate bearing a decent cut in it.

Alas, at least the Zeruelus had come off much worse than he, bearing massive bruises and Void burns. One ribbon-arm hung limply by mere threads. " **You'll get yours one day, wretch!** "

" _ **The portal's open. Stay close,**_ " mentally warned Hiraks. The Araelus hovered in front of a flickering portal of black and green, tinged by flames and starlight.

"A Hive portal," warned Osiris. "Quick, we have to-!"

Then the two modified Walkers actually _jumped_ forward, their heads shining brightly with a brilliant charge-!

 _ **KABOOM!**_

 _Ah. Death. By Fallen Walker._

 _Though, death by explosion was a new one._

 _Then again, Jaren had sometimes warned him about times where unsuspecting Guardians had been killed by a Walker blowing up. Usually new ones._

 _Ah, there was Susan's familiar mote of Light-_

" _-wake up!_ "

Shin Malphur quickly got to his feet, hand cannon held up. The entire chamber had been reduced to a smoldering wreck, rife with smoke and shrapnel. The remnants of the two Walkers were scattered all over, with most of the pieces actually buried within the walls. Although his two teammates were also rising, they were all alone; of the other Barons, there was nothing to be found. "Damn it. They got away."

" _Well, you can't win them all,_ " reassured his Ghost, before she phased into his body.

"How interesting," murmured Osiris, quietly fiddling with the brass bracer on his arm. "I had noted that the Araelus Hiraks had a number of Hive relics on his person, but his study of their arcana must be specially advanced to open a portal."

Saint-14 sighed, irritated by the abrupt end of the battle. "My apologies. If I had been quicker to destroy those mechs-"

"There's no helping it, old friend," assuaged Osiris. "I suspect that the Spider will at least be satisfied with the death of Siviks." The Warlock quietly moved towards one of the few things that had appeared to survive the explosions: a cylindrical tank made of frosty glass. "Now, what to make of _this_ , I wonder?"

The dark light within elicited an unsettling feeling within Shin's gut. "Nothing good, I'd wager." He briefly gazed at the radar on his helmet's HUD, and there were suddenly a _lot_ of friendly signals approaching-

BOOM!

The door into the chamber was blasted open, and various walking machines entered. " _ **WE HEARD AN EXPLOSION!**_ " exclaimed a Minotaur with plasma chainsaws for hands. " _ **WELL, THERE WERE LOTS OF EXPLOSIONS, BUT THAT WAS A REALLY BIG ONE! WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST!**_ "

"Fret not, Foolproof," warmly said Osiris. "We're fine. But our enemies are no longer here."

The girlish Pax pumped her arms with excitement. " _ **EXQUISITE! HAVE YOU VAPORIZED THEM?**_ "

"...well, I suppose we vaporized _one_ of them," truthfully answered Shin.

" _ **WONDERFUL! I SHALL MAKE SURE THAT YOUR KILL COUNT GETS UPDATED!**_ "

xxxx

/The Spider's Safehouse/

" **Hmm...I do believe I'll have that framed,** " happily hissed the Spider, gazing at the projected image coming from Shin Malphur's Ghost. " **Yes; I'll have one of my minions sketch it with charcoal...or perhaps a painting!** "

Shin looked at Osiris and then at Saint-14, before saying, "we were unable to stop the other Barons before they fled through a Hive portal."

" **Ah, yes...Hiraks's work, no doubt. It takes a particularly deranged sort to justify placing Hive bits all over your body. Even more so when your primary method of communicating with the word is entirely mental.** " The Mataraelus leaned forward, six eyes narrowing. " **Although, I seem to recall that our deal was for** ** _all_** **of the Barons' heads...so to speak. Bardielus can't really be said to** ** _have_** **a head,** " he joked.

Saint-14 clenched his fist, an action that drew ire from the Spider's Fallen guards. "We took care of their 'leader'. And we also managed to clear out a great deal of their rank-and-file."

 _Thanks to the Pax_ , Shin thought quietly. The swift invasion of the Light-empowered Vex had taken down a great many Fallen that served the anti-Spider Barons.

' _Think he'll mind?_ ' mentally inquired Susan.

The Spider chortled. " **Indeed. Your little cadre of...** ** _helpers_** **...certainly cleared out a lot of the riffraff. In fact, I think I'll politely ignore their interference, in the interest of maintaining our new** ** _friendship_** **; I believe when word spreads that all it took was** ** _three_** **Lightmongers to scatter the Barons, I imagine that'll do a great deal to curtail their...popularity.** " The Mataraelus leaned back in his suspended chair. " **Very well then! I'll provide you the information you need.** "

 _Good._ "How did the Separatists hack into the MAGI?"

" **Hah! I told you I'd provide you the information you need, not the information you** _ **seek.**_ "

Saint-14 bristled, mirroring Shin's irritation. "We're not in the mood for games."

"And I don't believe the Spider is, either," cautioned Osiris, peering curiously at the Mataraelus. "You told us you had something 'better', before we departed for the Barons' lair."

" **Indeed! I would recommend listening to the Warlock,** " advised the Spider, staring gleefully at Shin. " **Did you take note of a certain tank of...** ** _unusual_** **design?** "

"...we did," admitted the Gunslinger. In the end, the former Vanguard Commander had advised the Pax to take it with them back to their domain on Earth, for further study. Better there, than in the wilds of the Tangled Shore. "What is it?"

" **A strange bit of technology, that Siviks acquired from an unknown supplier. But it's also one that's shown up in...unsuspecting places.** " With those words, one of the Spider's limbs rose, the mechanical digits at the tip flinging a green coin at them. Shin caught it in midair, holding it up to stare quietly at it; the emblem embossed on the token's surface was of a two-headed snake, coiled around itself to form a rough approximation of the letter 'S'. " **The Separatists are pieces, being played by something strange and new...or, perhaps some** ** _one_** **.** "

"Is that so?" asked Shin.

" **These tokens have started showing up in the past few months at those confounded 'Trials' that Calus loves so much; some friendly murmurs speak of more...** ** _unusual_** **prey than participants are accustomed to.** "

"Like what?" demanded Saint-14.

The Spider sneered. " **Taken.** " That elicited silence from the three Guardians, which made the Mataraelus chitter with delight. " **A fitting reaction! A dastardly relic of the Nine's, to arouse Taken into our realm...or, so some would say.** "

"You believe there's another party at play," commented Osiris, apparently drawing his own conclusions. Namely, that taking that tank had been a _smart_ decision; no use in leaving something so foul lying around where _anyone_ could fiddle with it.

" **What I 'believe' is that** ** _someone_** **is spreading the technology from these newer Trials around, and that they apparently have no issue handing out that power to someone as idiotic as Siviks. Such a character would delight in the sort of chaos that a Warmind attack on the Cabal would cause...wouldn't you agree?** "

"...that would be putting it mildly," murmured the Hunter; this little bit of information had opened a whole new avenue of investigation. _Not was I hoping for._ Alas, it was the hand they had been dealt. "I think we're done here."

"Your help has been most appreciated," said Osiris, graciously thanking the hefty Mataraelus.

" **The Spider is** ** _always_** **helpful to savvy business partners.** " He leaned forward, folding two of his limbs together with satisfaction. " **Oh, and if you're ever in the need for more** ** _fruitful_** **work...you'll know where to find me.** "

xxxx

/Diaviks Mine, the Tangled Shore/

The Hive portal roared, spewing forth the battle-worn Barons into the Diaviks Mine: built from a Ketch that had buried itself into an asteroid countless years ago during the Reef Wars, it had become a natural hideout amidst the Tangled Shore. Green flora sprawled throughout the etherious atmosphere within the entrapped vessel, alongside Ramielim crystals and Bardielim lichens. " **Well, that went poorly,** " muttered Elykris, the swarm of nanites buzzing irritably. " **We didn't even get the chance to test Siviks's new technology.** "

" **If** ** _it_** **was** ** _truly_** **so** ** _spectacular_** **, he** ** _would_** **have** ** _deployed_** **it,** " griped Araskes; the Israfelus was pirouetting in place to work off her frustration. " ** _A_** **wretched** ** _showing!_** "

Kaniks was pleased one way or another. " **Big boom to end the bout! Effective explosions, delightful detonations! Yeeheehahahaha!** " The Sachielus scrambled away from the group, sitting atop a pillar of Bardielim, much to the irritation of the sapient blue fungi.

Speaking of fungi, the sharp bones extending from Yaviks's gelatinous form quivered, a sign of her anger. " **I spent** ** _so_** **much time modding those Walkers. So many resources...** "

" **You'll just have to go on more raids to replenish your supplies,** " remarked Reksis Vahn.

" **But that's not the** ** _point!_** "

The Zeruelus shrugged, flopping onto the floor out of exhaustion. " **I managed to scratch the Bright Crusader, so my day's made.** "

" **Such** ** _a_** **high** ** _bar_** **,** " snarked Araskes.

" **Something to remember me by, when we inevitably encounter each other again.** " Reksis gazed at their comrades from Ramiel and Arael. " **You two have been quiet.** "

Pirrha shifted rapidly, forming various crystalline weapons. " **...this outpost was fully staffed when we were last here. Yet we've yet to be greeted?** "

" ** _...this place is brined with the thoughts of something strange. Something old._** " Hiraks's entire body twitched. " ** _The psychic ambience of the Bardielim and Ramielim...they are content. Satisfied._** **Hopeful** ** _. A strange concoction..._** "

"And should they not be?"

The Barons swiftly took aim at the source of the voice; a cloaked biped stepped through a door, face hidden by a strange helm of burnished yellow, topped by two pairs of plates perpendicular to each other. "In the face of what I represent, what else is there to feel, but rapturous hope?" He pounded an arcane staff against the floor, its tip ending in a jagged blue gem; not a Ramielim formation, but rather an actual Arc Core of...antiquated design. "And here you are: mighty Barons, fleeing from those who have laid the Eliksni low. A shame."

" **Who are you?** " demanded Elykris.

" ** _He feels...different_** **,** " mentally muttered the Araelus. " ** _I can't...interpret his thoughts? Impossible._** "

"We are all Fallen, from where we once were. Such is the conceit of your fellows, to take up our true name, and sully its former glory."

" **Grandiose words. I'll pass,** " burbled Yaviks.

" **We** ** _already_** **got** ** _this_** **song** ** _and_** **dance** ** _from_** **Siviks.** ** _I_** **think** ** _we'll_** **stick** ** _with_** **more** ** _tried_** **and** ** _true_** **methods,** " retorted Araskes.

The stranger chuckled, raising a gloved hand - one with five fingers? Was it a human? - and slowly removing the helm-

The Barons all went still with shock. Even Kaniks. " **Ooh. A surprise! Heehehee~** "

" **How can this be?** " inquired Elykris.

"You wish to learn how?" inquired the unmasked stranger, red eyes staring stoically at them, his fair features grim with stern focus; long silver hair spilled down his back. Distinctive features of a _Tabrix._ And yet, this was not Variks; so how was a member of the House of Tabris standing before them?! "Then join my cause. Cease struggling in the muck and mire of this common life, and aim high for a _grander_ purpose."

" ** _...and what grander purpose do you have in mind?_** " inquired Hiraks.

The mysterious Tabrix smiled coldly. " ** _Revolution._** "

xxxx

 **Grimoire: Ghost Fragment - The Janus Coin**

 **"** ** _Polycephaly is not an atypical condition in some animals._** **" - The Pahanin Errata**

 **Lord Shaxx stared at the green coin with a measure of fascination. "Interesting. And you say this was a reward?"**

 **"Not as such," replied Redrix-3. "Not like your Crucible tokens."**

 **"Then what is it?" The icon on it was interesting: a double-headed snake, coiled in on itself to form the image of an 'S'.**

 **"A taunt. A warning. Hell if I know."**

 **"A challenge?" That would be quite intriguing.**

 **"...possibly. It's a Trial unlike any of the others we've run across so far."**

 **The Titan Vanguard focused intently at the Exo. "You're being very measured with your words."**

 **"Part of the package of being a Loyalist. The big Emperor has eyes and ears that dive in deep."**

 **Shaxx wondered just how much the Titan had sacrificed to make it this far. "Even now?"**

 **"Can't say."**

 **"...I see." He would have to advise the Consensus appropriately. Ikora especially; the Hidden that she had amongst Calus's ranks may not be as unaffected as they seemed. "And for the non-Loyalists that participate? Are they affected?"**

 **"...not sure. But there are some Trials that don't get as much public attention. The participants that the Emperor favors? They get special perks. Special missions. Really confidential."**

 **"...how interesting." Shaxx flipped the coin over, wondering about the thoughts and motivations that inspired such imagery. A two-headed snake: how untrustworthy such a creature would be. Yet someone felt it had been fitting to put on a token, signalling victory? Triumph? "I need more information."**

 **"I'll do what I can, Commander."**

 **"Never stop fighting, Guardian."**

 **Redrix-3 chuckled. "I'm still here, aren't I?"**


End file.
